My Choices Can Change My Life

In Romans 8:28 I read, “Every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good." (The Message)

As Psalm 139:14 says, God made me “wonderfully complex” (NLT). So, to fulfill God’s purpose for me, it’s essential to look at every dimension of my life and understand the five factors that influence my identity.

For the last few days, I’ve looked at how my chemistry, connections, circumstances, and consciousness affect the way I am shaped.

If these factors are like the five cards I’m dealt in a game of poker, then the fifth factor would be my wild card. Why? Because the fifth factor is my choices, and that wild card affects all my other cards. I can’t control the hand I was dealt—but I can use my wildcard to change my life by the choices I make.

The Bible says that I was created in the image of God. No other creature was created in the image of God! Dogs have instincts, but don’t know the difference between right and wrong. Elephants have no moral compass. But I get to choose to do right or wrong. The freedom to choose is humanity’s greatest blessing; it’s also our greatest curse because we make poor choices all the time that harm us and everyone around us.

What does a wild card do? It can change the suit and number of the other cards I'm dealt. I didn’t choose my chemistry, but I can choose what I do with my body. I didn’t choose my connections, but I can make new relationships and mend or nurture the ones I already have. I don’t choose all of my circumstances, but I do choose how I respond to every circumstance. I can’t change the fact that my consciousness—my thoughts—control my life, but I can choose what I think about.

The Bible says, “Every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good” Romans 8:28 (The Message). It may be hard to see the good that can come out of some aspects of the hand I was dealt. But the good choices I make are one of the ways God works those difficult parts of my identity into something good.

My identity is shaped by my choices. What choices will I make today that will positively affect the rest of my life?

In summary, God made me “wonderfully complex”. To fulfill God’s purpose for me, it’s essential to look at every dimension of my life and understand the five factors that influence my identity. My chemistry, connections, circumstances, and consciousness affect the way I am shaped. If these factors are like the five cards I’m dealt in a game of poker, then the fifth factor would be my wild card. Because the fifth factor are my choices, and that affects all my other cards. I can’t control the hand I was dealt, but I can use my wildcard to change my life by the choices I make. I was created in the image of God. I get to choose to do right or wrong. The freedom to choose is humanity’s greatest blessing; it’s also my greatest curse because I make poor choices all the time that harm me and everyone around us. A wild card can change the suit and number of the other cards I'm dealt. I can choose what I do with my body. I can make new relationships and mend or nurture the ones I already have. I do choose how I respond to every circumstance. And I can choose what I think about. Every detail in my life of love for God is worked into something good. It may be hard to see the good that can come out of some aspects of the hand I was dealt. But the good choices I make are one of the ways God works those difficult parts of my identity into something good. My identity is shaped by my choices. What choices will I make today that will positively affect the rest of my life?

God works in "everything", not just isolated incidents, for my good. God is not working to make me happy, but to fulfill his purpose. I am learning to trust in God and not in life's treasures, my security is in heaven, not on earth. My faith should not waver in pain and persecution, because I know that God is with me.