The right choice by Tracy Williamson
Today I choose. . .
“Heroes are made by the paths they choose, not the powers they are graced with.” Everneath )
I am not great at making choices. I don't mean that my choices are bad although they can be, but I am bad at making them. I dither and put off the responsibility; I seek out other's opinions and if those opinions are different to mine then I take it as a sign that mine are wrong.
But choosing is central to living. We wake up and from that moment of consciousness choices are before us...Will I get up now or later? Read the Bible or take the dog out? What shall I eat for breakfast? What shall I wear? And so on throughout the day with choices ranging from simple to complex.
Most of us make these choices automatically, they are part of our daily routine and habit determines the answers, but what about the bigger choices which determine how we actually live our lives and arrange our time? What do we choose to give priority to?
I am really struggling this year to make those choices that will enable me to arrange my time wisely. I have had several writing projects on the go since January and as each deadline looms I find I've left things so close to the wire that its almost impossible to meet it. I feel guilty, am I being l lazy? But my days are full with things that need to be done. My friend said 'you've got to choose your priorities' but how to do that as all the priorities seem important? I am full of admiration for those who combine writing with the demands of bringing up a family. I read in some of your posts things like: 'I write 1000 words a day...' and think, heck, my writing output is so here and there! How do they do it?
I am single and childless so don't have those obvious demands on my time, so surely I can manage a regular output? But there are many other demands apart from children - I still have family who I need to make time for including an elderly mum to see regularly. In my ministry with Marilyn Baker we have events unfolding all the time that we need to travel to and fulfil; When we are home people need to visit and spend time with us; there's admin to catch up with, the house to clean, time with the Lord and preparing for events, ironing, shopping....Somehow in the midst of everything else, writing gets pushed out of the window. How can I choose what to prioritise when everything is important? How can I put writing above spending time with people when our ministry is to draw people into God's love? How can I ignore the practical jobs when we often have people coming to our home? Do I need to make myself into an owl when I am by nature a lark?
Maybe you are struggling in a similar way?
I was feeling rather overwhelmed when I came across this little story in Mark 10.17 - 22. It's about the rich young man who asked Jesus what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus quoted the commandments and the young man said he had always kept them since his youth. It then says,: 'Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," He said, "go sell everything you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me."'
As I read those words I realised that for me, the last phrase is the key: 'come follow me.' For that young man, making money and doing well was his driving force in live, so all his choices and priorities were shaped out of that goal. Jesus offered him a different goal: 'come follow me.' Making money wasn't wrong and neither are my goals to reach out to people, have a clean house, prepare for events, write books....But what is my driving force? It said 'Jesus looked at him and loved him.' He could see into the man's heart and loved him for who he was. He was dear to Jesus. Jesus longed for him to be free of those driving forces that were crippling him and to know the joy instead of his prior motivation being to follow Jesus.
That man went away sad because he didn't allow himself to make that choice.
What about me?
Jesus looks at me and loves me too. I am dear to him. He knows me just as He knew that man. He wants to help me live from a different centre.
I want to follow Him from that central goal place in my heart because He knew how to make the right priorities moment by moment. Sometimes those priorities took his friends by surprise, like disappearing from the crowd to make time to be with His Father; resting in the middle of a dangerous storm or taking time to talk with a sinful woman....But the key is, He knew from His Father what to give time to. He was at peace. He bore incredible fruit. He was full of joy. He lived, He wasn't just swept along, but He lived to the full.
Yes Jesus, today I choose. I choose to take everything else out of that central goal place in my life and 'come follow you.'
Tracy Williamson is an author and speaker working together with singer/songwriter Marilyn Baker for the itinerant ministry, MBM Trust. Tracy's latest book The Father's Kiss was published Sept 2018 by Authentic Media ad her new book A Desert Transformed will be released end June. Tracy lives in Kent with Marilyn and Tracy's hearing Dog, Goldie. Tracy loves reading, writing, being with people, chocolate and wine...!
“Heroes are made by the paths they choose, not the powers they are graced with.” Everneath )
I am not great at making choices. I don't mean that my choices are bad although they can be, but I am bad at making them. I dither and put off the responsibility; I seek out other's opinions and if those opinions are different to mine then I take it as a sign that mine are wrong.
But choosing is central to living. We wake up and from that moment of consciousness choices are before us...Will I get up now or later? Read the Bible or take the dog out? What shall I eat for breakfast? What shall I wear? And so on throughout the day with choices ranging from simple to complex.
I am really struggling this year to make those choices that will enable me to arrange my time wisely. I have had several writing projects on the go since January and as each deadline looms I find I've left things so close to the wire that its almost impossible to meet it. I feel guilty, am I being l lazy? But my days are full with things that need to be done. My friend said 'you've got to choose your priorities' but how to do that as all the priorities seem important? I am full of admiration for those who combine writing with the demands of bringing up a family. I read in some of your posts things like: 'I write 1000 words a day...' and think, heck, my writing output is so here and there! How do they do it?
I am single and childless so don't have those obvious demands on my time, so surely I can manage a regular output? But there are many other demands apart from children - I still have family who I need to make time for including an elderly mum to see regularly. In my ministry with Marilyn Baker we have events unfolding all the time that we need to travel to and fulfil; When we are home people need to visit and spend time with us; there's admin to catch up with, the house to clean, time with the Lord and preparing for events, ironing, shopping....Somehow in the midst of everything else, writing gets pushed out of the window. How can I choose what to prioritise when everything is important? How can I put writing above spending time with people when our ministry is to draw people into God's love? How can I ignore the practical jobs when we often have people coming to our home? Do I need to make myself into an owl when I am by nature a lark?Maybe you are struggling in a similar way?
I was feeling rather overwhelmed when I came across this little story in Mark 10.17 - 22. It's about the rich young man who asked Jesus what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus quoted the commandments and the young man said he had always kept them since his youth. It then says,: 'Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," He said, "go sell everything you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me."'
As I read those words I realised that for me, the last phrase is the key: 'come follow me.' For that young man, making money and doing well was his driving force in live, so all his choices and priorities were shaped out of that goal. Jesus offered him a different goal: 'come follow me.' Making money wasn't wrong and neither are my goals to reach out to people, have a clean house, prepare for events, write books....But what is my driving force? It said 'Jesus looked at him and loved him.' He could see into the man's heart and loved him for who he was. He was dear to Jesus. Jesus longed for him to be free of those driving forces that were crippling him and to know the joy instead of his prior motivation being to follow Jesus.
That man went away sad because he didn't allow himself to make that choice.
What about me?
Jesus looks at me and loves me too. I am dear to him. He knows me just as He knew that man. He wants to help me live from a different centre.
I want to follow Him from that central goal place in my heart because He knew how to make the right priorities moment by moment. Sometimes those priorities took his friends by surprise, like disappearing from the crowd to make time to be with His Father; resting in the middle of a dangerous storm or taking time to talk with a sinful woman....But the key is, He knew from His Father what to give time to. He was at peace. He bore incredible fruit. He was full of joy. He lived, He wasn't just swept along, but He lived to the full.
Yes Jesus, today I choose. I choose to take everything else out of that central goal place in my life and 'come follow you.'
Tracy Williamson is an author and speaker working together with singer/songwriter Marilyn Baker for the itinerant ministry, MBM Trust. Tracy's latest book The Father's Kiss was published Sept 2018 by Authentic Media ad her new book A Desert Transformed will be released end June. Tracy lives in Kent with Marilyn and Tracy's hearing Dog, Goldie. Tracy loves reading, writing, being with people, chocolate and wine...!
This post is actually for me! Wise and inspiring. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThank you Deborah!
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