Small Choices

The Bible teaches in many places that all decisions are important, but this was just a normal Sunday morning and that lesson was far from my mind. I’d had my quiet time and breakfast and it was time to get ready for church. I decided I needed to wear an outfit I hadn’t worn yet this winter, so I began to look at the available choices. Because of my food allergies, my waist size changes constantly, so the problem was what would be the most flattering. It took a while to go through the choices because the weather had gotten drastically colder and the warmer options were farther back. I thought I had extra time that morning, so I spent some time reorganizing the clothes by putting the lighter weight ones to the back as I came to them. 

When I realized I’d spent more time than I intended, I started rushing to finish getting ready. Before I was able to do that, though, my husband started calling time on me. This ALWAYS irritates me. After all, I was doing the best I could! On the third reminder, I lost my temper and gave an angry reply. We both went to church in a less than ideal mood. 

Being in the moment is all about the small choices. If I hadn’t decided to sort clothes as I was searching, or  if I had just worn what I wore the week before, the whole thing could have been avoided. Living in the moment is being aware of the small choices as I make them, not repeating a mistake because I’m on “automatic” with all the smaller decisions that led up to my loss of temper. 

For a more consistent walk, I’m going to try to be aware of the small decisions and treat them with the same care I do the big ones. I feel that paying attention to every decision will help me avoid some of the harder, larger ones.

The following are some of the scriptures telling us that EVERY decision counts, even the small ones. Any of them could have reminded me of that and maybe helped. One of them is now on a Post-It note hanging from my closet shelf. 

Matthew 12: 36 “But I tell you, everyone will have to give an account on the day of judgment for every empty word they speak.”

1 Corinthians 3:13, “Their work will be shown for what it is because the Day will bring it to light.”

1 Thessalonians 5:18,  “In everything give thanks: for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.