~ The Choice ~
It's quiet.
It's early. My coffee is hot.
The sky is still black. The world is still asleep.
The day is coming. In a few moments the day will arrive.
It will roar down the track with the
rising of the sun.
The stillness of the dawn will be
exchanged for the noise of the day. The
calm of the solitude will be replaced by
the pounding pace of the human race. The
refuge of the early morning will be
invaded by decisions to be made and
deadlines to be met. For the next twelve
hours I will be exposed to the day's
demands. It is now that I must make a
choice. Because of Calvary, I'm free to
choose. And so I choose.
I choose love...
No occasion justifies hatred;
no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose
love. Today I will love God and what God
loves.
I choose joy...
I will invite my God to be the God of
circumstance. I will refuse the temptation
to be cynical... the tool of the lazy
thinker. I will refuse to see people as
anything less than human beings, created
by God. I will refuse to see any problem
as anything less than an opportunity to
see God.
I choose peace...
I will live forgiven. I will forgive so
that I may live.
I choose patience...
I will overlook the inconveniences of the
world. Instead of cursing the one who
takes my place, I will invite him to do
so. Rather than complain that the wait is
too long, I will thank God for a moment to
pray. Instead of clenching my fists
at new assignments, I will face them with
joy and courage.
I choose kindness...
I will be kind to the poor, for they are
alone. I will be kind to the
rich for they are afraid. And kind to the
unkind for that is how God has treated me.
I choose goodness...
I will go without a dollar before I take a
dishonest one. I will be
overlooked before I boast. I will confess
before I accuse. I choose goodness.
I choose faithfulness...
Today I will keep my promises. My debtors
will
not regret their trust. My associates will
not question my word. My wife will not
question my love. And my children will
never fear that their father will not come
home.
(addition (husband) for us females
:-)
I choose gentleness...
Nothing is won by force. I choose to be
gentle. If I raise my voice may it be only
in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be
only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it
be only of myself.
I choose self-control...
I am a spiritual being. After this body is
dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let
what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose
self-control. I will be drunk only by joy.
I will be impassioned only by my faith. I
will be influenced only by God. I will be
taught only by Christ. I choose
self-control.
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, and self-control. To these I
commit my day. If I succeed, I will give
thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace.
And then, when this day is done, I will
place my head on my pillow and rest
~ Max Lucado ~ |