I turned down an offer for prayer two days ago. I know it sounds a bit strange, but let me explain. I struggle with balance in my life. I do not think I am any different that anyone else, however given my travel, the impact is more visible. When the subject of my schedule came up a good friend and guide offered to pray that God would help reduce the demands on my time. It was a generous offer; however, my instant response surfaced what I did not know.
“Thanks for the offer. There is no need to pray about this. The problem is not with God, it is with me. The decision to travel is with me. Until I give this up to God, asking in faith that He does whatever is necessary to change my priorities and values it would be presumptuous to ask God to solve the problem.”
We laughed and talked briefly about it. Perhaps we should have prayed that God would give me the courage to let go, but we left the challenge sitting in front of me. I have not slept well since.
Each of us goes through a myriad of decisions every day. The range is enormous; what we eat, how much sleep we allot for ourselves, what passes through our eyes, ears, mouth, what we drink, and where we focus our energies. Many decisions are decided almost on instinct, coming from the values buried deep within our hearts. We often find our self seeking to understand what our heart holds dear, however if we look at the course of our lives it will clearly paint a picture.
Your choices and mine do at least three different things. First, they determine the immediate. Second, they indicate the final destination. Third, the choices of today will impact our physical entities in ways that we may not understand for years. Choices driven by the “self” (versus mercy, compassion, and love) will sap the life-force within.
“A sound mind makes for a robust body, but runaway emotions corrode the bones.” (Proverbs 14.30)
