Life is a series of choices.
In the world there are so many influences pulling you to choose a certain way. Those influences can be simplified to a pull between good and evil. Sometimes we have a choice placed before us by a group of people, pressuring us to follow their crowd. Sometimes the choice happens when we are alone and no one is watching. Inside us we feel the conflict of choice between right and wrong.
What will you choose?
Who will you listen to?
Listen to the goodness in your own heart. Every person born on this earth has been given a moral compass, often called a "conscience." This "conscience" helps us know which side of the choice before us is right and which one is wrong. In my church, we call it, "the Light of Christ." And instead of me trying to explain what it is, I'm gonna let this incredible video do it for me!
Patterns of Light: Part I
My choices matter. My choices shape my destiny and my character.
If I listen to that light within me, I will be able to make good choices that take into account my happiness now and will bring about lasting happiness. Choosing good, results in good. Choosing bad, results in bad. God wants us to make good choices because He loves us, and knows that will bring us happiness. Satan wants us to choose bad because he wants us to be unhappy, because he knows wrong choices will pull us away from God. Misery loves company and he is the most miserable being in existence and "he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself." He's going to lie to you to get you to choose poorly and say:
"just once won't hurt,"
"it will be fun,"
"it's no big deal,"
"it doesn't matter,"
"everyone is doing it."
ALL LIES!
Just once WILL hurt,
the consequences WON'T be fun,
our choices DO matter,
it IS a big deal,
WHO CARES about everyone? What do you think? What does God?
I have a recent experience/example of the wiles of Satan. It's a silly story and a silly example, but...I would consider myself a silly person who enjoys silly things, so it works for me!
After a meeting I recently attended, I volunteered myself to vacuum the living room! Another missionary came by and jokingly stuck his foot out to block my path. In my mind, it was also a dare...to run it over, which I did attempt to do! His response of course was to quickly move out of the way! I challenged him to leave his foot there and let me run it over. He of course exclaimed NO! I began a series of different strategies to get him to let me run over his foot, mostly just because I was rather curious of whether or not it would actually hurt. I told him things like:"Just once won't hurt!"
"It will be fun to see what happens!"
He eventually replied in sudden understanding, "You are just like Satan right now!"
He made a connection that in trying to convince him to do this, quite frankly, stupid thing, I was tempting him very similarily to the way that Satan tempts us to make wrong choices.
This did not however, deter me from my goal! I didn't give up and eventually....he let me! I ran over his foot and guess what...it hurt! Not THAT bad though...so I suggested we see what happens when we did the same thing to his hand! To which this time he outrightly refused to do it. (except to pose for this blog post picture...what a ham.)
Do you see the connection I'm trying to make? Don't listen to Satan! Listen to the Light! When I walk away from a situation where I have made a good choice, I feel PEACE. I feel HAPPY. Have there been times in your life when you know you made the right choice? How did you feel afterwards? Let that motivate you to continue to choose the right! Choose happy!
Sent from my iPad
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