“I guess it just seemed like the next thing to do.” That’s how a man recently described how he ended up in a marriage that didn’t last long. Eleven months, to be exact. “We had been dating for a few years.” In other words, the couple bought into the idea of a pre-determined path. The result was disastrous.
Dating isn’t the only area of life in which choosing the “next thing” doesn’t equate to choosing the “wise thing.” It can happen in a career that wasn’t your dream, but somehow, you just keep progressing – not really wanting the promotions and the added responsibility, but pulled forward by a progressive series of steps that lead you further away from your heart’s true desire. Even in the simple everyday matters of life, like meal choices. Dessert might be the next thing the waiter offers at your favorite restaurant, but not necessarily the wise choice for that health goal you set.
If you are going to live a life that excites you, the life you were created for, you must be intentional about it. Every day, that means making wise choices. Wise choices aren’t just good choices. They aren’t just the right thing to do. They aren’t simply a choice you can “get away with.” Wise choices consider the discernment and insight that reflects lessons learned, weaknesses that can trip you up, and the desires you say you want to fulfill.
So consider the decisions you need to make this week – whether the simple ones or life-changing. Especially notice the ones that you’ve put on automatic pilot. Autopilot is only good if it ultimately lands the plane at the right destination. If instead, you find yourself repeatedly back at a place you don’t want to be, it’s time to consciously question your choices. Get quiet. Then ask, “What’s the wise choice?”
My challenge to you this week:
Consciously choose to do what is wise, rather than simply what is next.
Journaling assignment:
In what area(s) of your life do you tend to do the “next thing,” even though it is not the “wise thing”? What would be the wise thing? What change would you need to make in order to consciously do the wise thing? When will you make that change? Leave your comments below; I’d love to hear from you!
