HOW GOOD ARE YOU AT MAKING WISE DECISIONS?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves
the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in
the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the
pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.
The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the  
will of God lives forever.
(1 John 2:15-17)

MEDITATION:
Isn’t it nice when everything is going just the way we want it to go?
Each day is predictable and we are not burdened with making choices.
However, we don’t live in a utopia, so we must make decisions at times.
One of the greatest decisions we will ever make is how our life will be ruled.

We have two distinct and different choices:
    We can be controlled by the world (aka Satan), or be ruled by the Lord.
The choice we make is based on which one we love the most. If we love
the Lord, then we will have issues with worldly things. However, if our
love is more toward worldly things, then we will not enjoy righteous
things and consequently, we will have less time for the Lord.

As the attendance continues to drop in many churches, we know that
a lot of people have chosen the world over the Lord. There are certain
elements of daily life that are not sinful in themselves, however when
they steal time from the Lord, they can open the door to sinful actions.
Spending less time with the Lord creates a void that will be filled by
other things.

There are requirements for the necessities of life that can gain control of
our lives and manipulate the things we choose to do. For instance, making
money is essential for daily living, but without a constant relationship with
the Lord, it can degenerate into a love for money. When this happens, the
deceitfulness of riches can enter our thoughts and ruin our spiritual life.

Love of riches and acquiring ‘stuff’ can introduce anxieties, worry and
sleepless nights into our lives. These things can impact our health and
relationships in a negative way. So, our most critical decision should be
a firm commitment and love for the Lord and not for worldliness and
all of its problems.

Worldliness is actually a type of spirit. It can become an influence that
permeates all facets of human life and therefore, it should be guarded
against strenuously and constantly. It requires a constant awareness of  
its presence and influence, and remind us of our dependency on the Lord  
to provide us with a mindset that cannot be penetrated by worldliness.
    Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be
    transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then
    you will be able to test and approve what God’s will
    is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
    (Romans 12:2)

ACTION:
Questions to consider:
    – Which choice have you made?
    – Have you made a conscious choice,
       or are you living a life of turmoil for lack of choosing?
       We have the choice to choose, but if we fail
       to choose, then we have made our choice.

At the core of every person is the battle of pleasing ourselves, or yielding
to the will of God. Try to imagine earth as preparatory training for Heaven.
What things are stealing your time with the Lord and other believers?

The scriptures tell us,
    Do not love the world or anything in the world. If
    anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.
    (1 John 2:15)

How do we know if we love the Father?
The scriptures tell us:
     when we ‘love Him’, we will ‘obey Him’ (“does the will of God”).
“If you love me, keep my commands.”
(John 14:15)

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, You know how attractive the things of this world
can be for me. You know which ones I can be easily attracted to and
which ones steal my time with You. I want You to control my thoughts
and actions and for others to know that my love for You is real. More
importantly, I want to know that my love for You is sincere, and You
are more important to me than the things of this world. Help me to
realign my priorities so that other things (even non-sinful things) will
no longer take precedence over spending worshipping and praising You.
Keep me sensitive to Your Spirit so that I will not fall into the spirit and
control of worldliness and its lusts.”

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