Your Own Decision

 

Many times in life, making decisions is difficult.  Many times "man" won't approve.  Many times people want to influence your decisions based on what they feel is right and what they desire. I've seen this happen so many times, others try to guilt someone into doing something.  It may be nothing that is wrong or bad, but just something that they want to do or "think" you should do.  Perhaps standing on your own decision may be hard. Perhaps others won't approve of your decision.  I think that one of the most freeing things in life is to be able to make a decision based upon what you think is best for your life, and move on with that decision regardless of what others say or think.  

Rudeness, being inconsiderate, or arrogant is not what I'm implying at all.  Just simply having a plan for your life & doing things that fulfill that plan.  Recently one of our boys was faced with an option, one that "everyone" was doing.  It was nothing bad. It was just things that we easily become entrapped with in life because it was "the" thing to do.  Sort of a keeping up with the Joneses thing.  One of the adults discussing the situation gave the comment, well you'd be the only one that didn't participate.  As parents, we don't want our kids to be left out, ostracized or seemingly different or weird so as a sincerely, caring parents, we suggested well maybe you should participate. It wouldn't hurt and maybe you'd learn something.

After discussing, we decided that we would stick with our initial decision to not participate.  Is is the right one? Maybe? Will others judge our decision? Maybe.  Does it matter?  In the whole scheme of things, not really. I think that when we are able to make our own decisions in life based upon not pleasing others & based upon what is True & Right, we can be happy with our decision.  That's not to say that others won't continue to try to make us feel guilty for being our own person, but we can with good conscious know that we are standing up, being our own person, & making our own decisions.

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. Galatians 1:10