We have a choice. In almost every part of our lives, there is someplace where we posses the power to choose. We may not be able to choose what happens, but we always possess the decision of how we will respond.

The insights of Victor Frankl speak deeply to me, especially regarding this issue. Imprisoned in a Nazi Concentration Camp, enduring great evil, and experiencing great pain, he realized that his oppressors could control his environment and much of what was done to him, and those he loved. He also discovered the one thing they could never control was his response. No matter how powerful they were, he always retained his ability to choose. It was a challenging, yet liberating revelation.

While our circumstances may not be that extreme, we are no less able to decide. The power to choose our response is always ours. On one hand, this is a deeply frustrating insight because it dismantles our ability to blame our circumstances, or others, for the choices we make. We can hold people and systems accountable for evil and injustice, but we cannot abdicate our responsibility for our decision.

At the same time, such revelation is profoundly liberating. It removes us from the deceptive myth that we have no control. It may not be the control we are looking for, or even the control we want, but we are never completely powerless. There is at least one area where we can act and change our experience.

This is a challenging revelation for me. While I know it is true, I frequently find it difficult to practice. Like so many others, I frequently hear myself say, “I’m offended,” “I’m hurt,” I’m angry, frustrated, and unhappy.” Yet, I know that those statements are only partially true, because, when I speak them, I am implying that my emotional response was someone else’s decision. I’ve worked for years to change my wording, not as an expression of semantics, but as a means to more accurately define my reality, for as I do so, I gain more control over that reality.

Now, when I hear myself say those, and similar words, I work to immediately speak the truth, “I choose to be offended,” “I choose to be hurt,” “I choose to be angry, frustrated, and unhappy.” I choose. My response is my decision and when I accept that, I gain the power to claim a different reality. I choose to break destructive cycles and open myself to other possibilities.

We are made in the image of God, and that is a profound truth. It declares we have intrinsic value; our worth is not found in the judgement of others, but in fact that we exist and are loved by God. The image of God also means that we have the power to choose. We can choose good or evil, blessing or curse, even God or self. We can also choose how we respond to life and others.

As people of God, loved by God and empowered by God, we are never completely powerless. How we will live and how we will respond to our circumstances is always our choice. In a world that often seems out of control, we are grounded in God’s truth, and God’s reality. In a culture filled with angst, where being angry and offended seems to be a competitive sport, we can live in, and share, God’s grace and peace.

So, as always, we come to our lives with the God-given power to choose this day who we will serve, and how we will respond. What will you choose? For me, I choose God, and the grace and peace that flows from the Spirit. Now, I just need to put that decision into practice.

The post Decisions, Decisions appeared first on Thinking Faith Cafe.

“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” – Joshua 24:14-15

Choices matter, and they are ours to make.

Today’s post is a little later than usual, and that is a choice. It is not a decision based upon deep research regarding the best time to blog on Thursdays, nor is it founded upon the statistics and insights of the Cafe’s usage. It’s the result of a conscious decision to do something else. Before you find that thoughtless and selfish, please hear me out, and trust me, it is about something much more important than me.

Currently, my wife and I are on vacation. We are enjoying some time away together in the Adirondack Mountains. My normal routine is disrupted for a good reason, and some of my inspiration is emerging while I am here. Normally, my post would be mapped out in advance, and most of my writing done long before the post is due, and yes, I did have something in mind for this morning, but you will get to see that later.

Last night, I was able to spend some quality time playing cards with my wife, and this morning, our coffee conversation was filled with laughter and visioning for our future. Of course, I could have cut those moments short to sit at my laptop, but I chose my relationship over my blog. So now, as my wife prepares for another day of adventure, I have a moment to share with you.

We all make choices, lots of them, everyday. We make decisions about how to use our resources of time, treasure, and talent. Every choice is an investment in something and comes at the cost of something else. Too often, we feel as if we must surrender those choices to someone, or something, else, when the choice is actually ours and ours alone. We can blame family, work, even pressing blog posts, for forcing us to sacrifice important things, but the power of choice belongs to us. Even God does not take that away from us.

Of course, there are consequences to our choices, but that is exactly why we must weigh them out as we make our decisions. Things are expected of us, and many things are necessary, but the final decision rests with us. Will we trade our time for a stronger faith, a healthier family, deeper friendships, and a better world, or will we exchange what we have for a little more wealth, power, and position? Will we choose to serve God and others in Jesus name, or will we serve ourselves and the expectations of the world around us? These are the questions we need to ask, because the impact of our decisions will matter whether we are aware of our motivations or not.

Joshua called upon the nation of Israel to renew their covenant with God. It was an invitation to a choice: choose God, or something else. He did not make the decision for them, he couldn’t. It was their choice to make. What they could not do was avoid the choice. Even choosing not to decide was a choice to avoid choosing God. Joshua spoke the truth to the people, and then he led by example, “as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Today, we all have choices to make. Among them, is one of the most important decisions we make. Will we choose to serve the Lord? Will we put God first, above everything else? Will we accept the freedom and power God gives us to choose God?

The decision between strengthening the bond with my wife, or posting my blog before 9:00am was easy. The choice to deny myself and put God first in every aspect of my life is much more challenging, but the consequences of that decision are eternal.

So, as you live this day, the only August 16, 2018, you will ever experience, what, and who, will you choose? The choice is yours. No one else can make it for you. What is your choice?

The post Choice appeared first on Thinking Faith Cafe.

Now, with the bulk of those experiences behind us, it is time to begin writing again. I’ve missed the opportunity to share my thoughts, and I’ve missed the opportunity for all of the creativity that comes with sharing with all of you. As we journey together further into this New Year, I look forward to all that God has in store.

Today is the day to celebrate love and those we love. It will be marked with cards, chocolate, flowers, and numerous other gifts. Some of these will be purchased today, on the way home. People who procrastinated, or simply forgot, will run out to find something to show just how much they love that special someone in their lives.

I hope that last sentence sounds wrong to you, because it is. Thinking that a last minute scramble to buy anything that makes it look like we care falls a little short on actually caring. I would love to tell you that I’ve never done this, but that would be somewhat disingenuous. Truthfully, more than once I waited to the last minute, or forgot. I would like to tell you I was justified in those circumstances, but that would be equally untrue.

Loving is an action and it requires intentionality. More than just a feeling of affection, love is a choice to offer unconditional acceptance and compassion. We decide to love, and we make that decision again and again. This is where intentionality comes in. We ought not to try to slide by on yesterday’s decisions and actions, instead, we should reaffirm our love in word and deed every opportunity we find. Just as there is a large gap between finding time and making time for things, there is an equally large chasm between finding opportunities to show our love and intentionally planning to do so.

As you celebrate the gift of love today, and every day, may you do so with passion and intention. May the those you love never need to question your heart as they see your love in action, and may the world see the awesome power of the gift of love from a God who is love in you.

Happy Valentines Day

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