"You are only one decision away from a totally different life."

A thought by Mark Batterson, (2013-09-24) from his book, All In: You Are One Decision Away From aTotally Different Life (Kindle Location 296). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

As I think back on my life, I realize how true this is.

The one decision that I made as a teenager to let God have total control of my life has lead me to where I am today. The decision to marry my wife, Margaret came from that decision. The decision to become a staff minister and then to become a church planter came from that. The decision to have children has led to so much joy. The decision to retire has led to such a productive life of extended ministry. That decision will also lead me to and eternal reward after this life is over. My life would have been so different if I hadn’t stood in that auditorium in Winona Lake, Indiana and said out loud, “Here an I, use me.” That was a defining moment in my life that even brings some emotion in me as I remember it right now.

Now there were some other decisions that blew me off course for a while but then another decision that brought me back on course.

The key decision for any of us is the decision of “I have decided to follow Jesus” no matter when that comes. That decision affects all other decisions and also the decision to not be a Christ follower is a decision for a totally different life.

I know of some who as young adults decided they didn’t want to follow the ways of their Christian parents and they decided to live their life without Christ and that effected the key decisions that they will be making. Into their 30’s they come back but their major decisions of who they married and what career they had were made without God’s direction and that took them in a totally different direction. Now God can still bring good out of all our lives when we allow Him to have control no matter when we do it. That is the kind of God we have. But there can also be some regrets.

I have felt that one of the greatest benefits of having a relationship with Christ is this benefit of His direction in the decisions of my life. I can go to someone who created me, who knows me inside out and who also sees the future. That has and is one of the greatest keys to my life. God has been and is so good. My decision to follow Him totally has made all the difference in my life.

So have you made that decision to follow Him?

Comments

“There’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.”

A thought by Bob Goff from his book, Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People ( p. 41). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Have you ever built a sand castle or maybe a Lego castle? Have you? Bob says, “We actually build castles all the time, out of our jobs and our families and the things we’ve purchased. Sometimes we even make them out of each other. Some of these castles are impressive too. Lots of people come to admire what we’ve built over the course of our lives and tell us what great castles we have. But Jesus told His friends we weren’t supposed to spend our lives building castles. He said He wanted us to build a kingdom, and there’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.” Bob goes on, “You see, castles have moats to keep creepy people out, but kingdoms have bridges to let everyone in. Castles have dungeons for people who ha...

“When you understand that life is a test, you realize that nothing is insignificant in your life.”

A thought by Rick Warren, (2012-10-23) from his book, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Purpose Driven Life, The) (p. 57). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. To realize that from God’s perspective life is a test goes a long way in determining how you handle your life. It is important to see that in testing your character is both developed and revealed. Rick goes on to say that “even the smallest incident has significance for your character development. Every day is an important day, and every second is a growth opportunity to deepen your character, to demonstrate love, or to depend on God.” So there is a God purpose behind each situation in your life. Even the bad ones are there to strengthen you and develop you. You see those bad situations are really good ones because they are there for your good. I start each day with a reminder that God is good. Not every situation that is going to come in my day is good but because G...

“Sometimes we think we’re stuck simply because things are hard.”

A thought by Matt Perman, from his book, How to Get Unstuck (p. 52). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the That is a possible trap for many, isn’t it? Matt says, “But if you’re continuing to make progress and aren’t experiencing huge snags, you’re not stuck. Rather, you’re in a dip. “A dip is a temporary hard slog that you will get through if you keep pushing and don’t give up. And pushing through the hard slog is actually the fastest route to the destination. In these cases, you will be especially tempted to bail. Be discerning and able to identify that you’re in a legitimate dip and you’re not a failure.” Matt says another trap to be careful of, “Some people are stuck and don’t know it.” He goes on, “Everything can be going your way, going smoothly, and going quickly. Everything feels and seems wonderful. Yet... you are still headed toward a dead end, a form of getting stuck, if you are leaving God out of t...

Just Continue That Thought...

Search This Blog