Life is full of options and choices right from the beginning of creation. In the garden of Eden, God gave man the option of choice. He gave man dominion over all that was created, told him what to eat and what not to, and also gave him option to choose obedience or disobedience. Options and choices are actually synonyms so I’ll be using the two words interchangeably.
Option – One of the choices which can be made; The freedom or right to choose.
Choice – An option; a decision; an opportunity to choose or select something.
– One selection or preference; that which is chosen or decided; the outcome of a decision.
– Anything that can be chosen; usually with the The best or most preferable part.
When you choose an option, it means you prefer and favor it above all other options presented. The good thing is life daily presents us with options and choices. Each new day, week, month or year, present opportunities to choose from.
Even when life boxes you into a corner, there are still options to choose from, that’s why you can hear people say “I was torn between a rock and a hard place” – options and choices! Dilemmas too represent options albeit unpleasant ones. This is why I find it difficult to accept when someone says “I was left with one or no choice…” When life pushes you to a corner, take a moment and think. You’ll usually find that there is more than one option to choose from; more options than you initially assumed.
Choosing to do nothing is also a choice – the options are to be assertive and act accordingly or to be passive and do nothing – the choice is still yours to make. Sometimes we’re faced with seemingly mundane choices to make, like what to eat, what to wear, where to go, etc. At some other times, we’re faced with real critical choices to make. The first most critical choice for me is choosing the God to serve.
Joshua talking to the people of Israel shines a bright beam on the options available:
“This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live. And that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” (Deut. 30:19-20, NIV; emphasis are mine)
Jesus also made it clear in John 14:6 that He is the only way to the Lord our Father and Creator – “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (NKJV)
Some other critical choices we may be faced with include:
– Whom to marry
– Where to live
– Where to work
– Where to school
– The career path to follow
– What to invest in
– etc
We are faced with options to choose from in these areas and more. When you are in doubt of the option to choose, be sure to ask questions. As we make these choices, the key things to note include:
– We have the prerogative to choose whatever option that pleases us most from a list of available options BUT we do not have the right to choose the consequence(s) of our choices.
– Choosing to do nothing is an option too, so is indecision.
– Most times, the consequences of our choices do not end with us, they impact our environment and affect the lives of those around us even to generations unborn. This is why mankind is still bearing the consequences of Adam & Eve’s choice in the garden – Choices are that impactful!
As you go about your daily business, no option should be chosen lightly. Give careful thought and consideration to all available options before making a decision no matter how mundane you feel the choice to be made is. This is because consequences are often far reaching.
Today, we are each been offered another list of options to choose from. Some of these choices will go as far as determining how the rest of our week, month, year and even the rest of our lives will be. Be sure to choose wisely. I’ll wrap up today’s e-Boost with this quote from Kofi Annan:
“To live is to choose. But to choose well, you must know who you are and what you stand for, where you want to go and why you want to get there”
May God direct our hearts and help us to make the right choices.
Thank you for reading today’s post. Wishing y’all a Blessed and Fruitful week ahead.
ChinyereDistinguished
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distinguishedlives 
Great work Distinguished! We are always faced with options in life. To inflate that figure or not, is a choice! To stand for the truth always, is a choice! To forgive and forget, is a choice!
We’ve got to consciously make d right choices.
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Thank you Chigozie for adding your voice to the matter. We’ve got to consciously make the right choices, always.
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Thanks sister,Very thoughtful of you.
God bless and give you more wisdom.
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Amen! Thank you so much Sir Chris. God bless you too Sir
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Immense thanks for this thoughtful heart – cautioning piece; bless you as usual.
Like you wrote…” The good thing is life presents us daily with options and choices ” …that we make various choices having various options including that of salvation,that even indecision is also a choice…aptly put indeed.
I was just thinking aloud that I would never again be in a bus stop occupied by indecision as it is often conspiring with procrastination to do us wrong. I have been a victim many times before.
Let me just add that,even though we may not directly choose the consequences of our actions,it is true that choosing a particular option by implications definately support that “he who chooses a particular path has chosen the end of that path thereof regardless of whether the end was intended or not”.
Almost everything is subject to choices and options as you have accurately identified….. I think what we are not allowed to choose are: the day we are to be born; which family we are to be born into; what subling position we are to ccupy or what sex to take on – male or female; and when to pass-on.
While other choices from various options are made for us early in life, particularly by our parents or guidians-such as the kindergarten/ primary school to attend, or what method of training we are to be given;and how to make us a responsible person while growing up towards adulthood……afterwards the rest is up to us,especially at the stage of adulthood where we are now fully liable to accept consequences of our actions/choices as adult individuas,a community or even a nation.
Again,you have nailed the most crucial of them,especially as an adult – which is accepting the only salvation choice that our Lord Jesus Christ brings;the second most important decision for me is a choice of who to marry as this two will truly and mostly impact our lives towards its fullness…or otherwise.
Similarly,how to choose well/ right is even another decision itself as this will measure and ensure the quality of the decision we have made; what are the yardsticks (values) that guides our decision making process ? That is actually very important because behind it lies the motive that drives the kind of decision we make- whether for eternal success via God’s way or for short time materialism, is our choice.
Furthermore,as humans who are not perfect,we must also have it at the back of our minds that we may experience error by a decision we made;in case that happens inspite of our carefulness we should learn the ability to move on since such was never intended, but those crucial decision must be made right in order to aviod the negative impacts that may even affects others…
Also,some choices are definately obvious in terms of decoding and exercising better options to choose from, while some are not- they are very dicy choices having similar close options,which no doubt requires God’s input and guidance by prayer etc….like you said, may God help us to choose right at all times,becuase same faith that it takes to choose is also the faith to refuse on the reverse side,in a case if the option is a bad one that appears good….we must therefore not choose lightly when it comes to crucial decision.
Thanks and God bless you dear..
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Well said Frank. God bless you too for reading and sharing your views.
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Well said.
I love the part were you said we have a right to choose our choices but not to choose the consequences of said choices. So true.
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Thanks dear. Always a pleasure reading your comment.
May God help us to make the right choices, always.
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