I was driving home tonight, and there were two different ways to get home. One is highway driving so I could drive faster but it is longer in distance; the other is more backroads that require slower driving but are slightly more direct. Both ways have advantages and disadvantages; I had to make a choice.
The thing that is interesting about this kind of choice is that it doesn't involve morality. There is no "right" or "wrong" in the choice, because there is no clear advantage to one way versus the other. In a situation like this, the morality lies in the way you handle your choice. It demands commitment, perseverance, and strength.
I made my choice to start driving down what I will call Route A, and I stuck with it. I didn't test-drive Route A, then get caught up in the thoughts of doubt. "I wonder if Route B would have been faster. The traffic is thick tonight. And that other way, it would get me home eventually, maybe even faster - maybe I should try it." How unwise to turn around, retracing steps and wasting time as I tried to go back to where I'd already been! And then, who knows? Maybe Route B had an unforseen detour, which wastes yet more time, energy, and resources.
If I was that concerned about the speed and efficiency of the route in making the decision between routes A and B, I should not have allowed doubt to come in and plague me. If doubt could not be staved off then I should have pulled over, collected my wits, prayed, and worked my way through it. The best thing I could have done if that doubt prevailed would have been to simply drive faster and more efficiently when possible; to give it my best effort to get home, trusting that I was headed in the right direction and that there was purpose in that.
While it's true that God doesn't waste anything, we humans sure can waste a LOT. Sometimes we waste it when we back-track on decisions we make without simply pausing to ask God for help or working through the situation with the utmost of integrity. It was vital to me to get home (obviously, to blog), so by working through this seemingly insignificant decision, I got home safely, quickly, and happily.
When the time comes for you to make your next decision - where are you headed? Are you committed to making it there without waste?
2 comments:
I also think that we, as humans, tend to back track a lot when we don't seek God's help out first. I've seen this happen first hand in my life. Anyway... I do indeed grant you the honor of adding my blog to your list. Amy has one too... just to let you know.
It was nice seeing you this weekend also, hope the teaching goes well. I'll let you know on my walls, hopefully gray solves the paint problem.
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