Choices

I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; Deuteronomy 30:19 NKJV Successful people do consistently what other people do occasionally. Our habits will make us or break us. We become what we repeatedly do. – Sean Covey 3 Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and high officers. Because of Daniel’s great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire. 4 Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy. Daniel 6:3-4 NLT But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God. Daniel 6:10 NLT Daniel developed an attitude of habit. We should never underestimate how God can do something big through one small habit. Based on who you want to become, what one habit do you need to start? What systems do you currently have in place. How to create a habit The process = Trigger > Action > Reward Make it obvious Make it easy Goals are good for setting a direction, but systems are best for making progress. We are not successful when we hit our goals somewhere in the future. We are successful when we’ve honoured God today. Some of us have created bad habits in our lives. So how do we break a habit so that we become who we want to be? We rarely end at the wrong place because of one decision. So get rid of every filthy habit and all wicked conduct. Submit to God and accept the word that he plants in your hearts, which is able to save you. James 1:21 GNB How do we break a habit Acknowledge it You cannot defeat what you have not defined Remove the trigger (make it difficult to do) 14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. 15 Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way. Proverbs 4:14-15 NIV Triggers Place Time Mood Moment People Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm Proverbs 13:20 NIV The most important people in your life should be people that challenge you to grow and advance Interrupt the action The habits you build today will shape who you are tomorrow. Do you like who you are becoming?

Our lives are the sum total of our choices. We have all created our present situation by the choices we made in the past. If we chose to do nothing, then our situation reflects that. Recognizing that we live in a world of our own creation means that we are responsible. If we don’t like our life the way it is, then we are the ones responsible for making changes. I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; Deuteronomy 30:19 We are not only saved by faith, we are called to a lifestyle of faith. A lifestyle of faith is a lifestyle of obedience. Faith in God is a choice, not a feeling. It is a decision to rely on God based on what he has revealed about himself through nature and in the Bible. Not an affection that fluctuates according to what we might infer about him from our momentary blessings or persistent adversities. If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land; Isaiah 1:19 There is much power in our obedience to God. If God did not delight in obedience, the glory of sovereign grace might never be seen in its sin-conquering power. 38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” 41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42 We must decrease the distractions that keep us from the main thing. Good stewardship looks like fighting distraction as best you can. Push yourself. You may not be able to do what others can do, but God will only hold you accountable for the measure of grace given to you. 15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Ephesians 5:15-17 Not every good idea is a God idea. Go from saying “no” to many good things to saying “yes” to God (Best) things. Saying yes to God things means: Intimacy with God  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:33 Intentional time of rest  “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life 29Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you Matthew 11:28-29 A life dedicated to God  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. Romans 12:1 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. Matthew 10:39