“Can you please tell me your name?” That was an easy one. I spelled it slowly for her, waiting to make sure she got it right.
“And how old are you?” I stumbled over the number, but tried to sound confident anyway.
“What do you do?”
I paused.
I had to think about how best to answer this one. Was she asking what my ‘job’ was? I could tell her about my consulting work and try to explain it in simple terms.
Or, maybe it would be easier if I talked about blogging. Who was I kidding?
Perhaps I should stick to my role as her mommy.
So Many Choices
In this day and age, women in our culture wear many hats. And we have an amazing number of choices. It’s as if we can create exactly the life we want.
We get to choose:
- Where to live
- Which career to choose
- Who to marry
- Whether to have children and how many
- School, homeschool, unschool
- WAHM, SAHM, WOHM
- What to cook for dinner
- Why bother cooking dinner
- And so on, and so on, and so on…
There are endless opportunities and options available to us. And that’s what I love about being a woman in today’s world.
Young girls today are being told that they can be and do anything. The sky is the limit. And within reason, that is very much true if they are careful not to believe the lie about having it all.
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How much is too much?
Our danger is not too few, but too many options … to be puzzled by innumerable alternatives.
Those were the words of classical scholar Richard Livingstone (1880-1960). The poor guy would be spinning in circles if he saw us now.
Somewhere between drive-through’s and the Amazon experience, we are inundated with options.
While having many choices is a good thing, having too many can leave us feeling stuck. I see it in my own life all the time. I am often overwhelmed with the flood of options so much so that I don’t move forward.
Which of these many paths will lead to my best life?
Narrowing It Down
I’m extremely grateful for the freedom that I have, yet there are times I secretly wish that someone else could do the choosing.
I wish life was simpler.
Thankfully the Bible offers some sound advice about our choices.
In Deuteronomy 30:11-20, God presented only two options to the Israelites.
Whoever heard of only two options?
But God, is good that way. He likes to keep things simple. And just in case the Israelites didn’t know which one to choose, God went ahead and suggested the better way: choose life.
God wants the same for us today.
In the midst of your many options, God wants to simplify your life. He suggests that you choose life.
How do we choose life?
“I still have too many options”, you say.
God himself tells us it’s not too difficult.
Start with the Word of God.
No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. Deuteronomy 30:14
And what does God’s Word tell us to do?
- Love God
- Walk in His ways
- Keep His commands
Keep it simple.
Do you want to know how to be a good daughter, mother, sister, friend, grammie? Consult the Bible. The Word of God leads to life, prosperity (though not in the way the world defines it), and a bright future.
So when my little pretend-journalist asks what I ‘do’, I don’t have to falter. I can confidently tell her that I wear many hats because I have the freedom to choose. And ultimately, at the core of all that I do, there is this one thing that ties it all together: I choose life!
How about you?
As we celebrate the beauty of being a woman, let us also celebrate the freedom that we have to choose life.
Let us choose blessings over curses.
Choose prosperity over destruction.
Let us be thankful for the many choices we have.
And at the heart of it all, let us choose the best life.
Wishing you blessings,
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*This post appeared first as a guest post on a site that no longer exists. The post has since been updated.
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Marva, it is true about too many options. It can cause us to get stuck. It’s so important to make the main thing the main thing! Thanks for this great reminder!
Beautifully shared, Marva … it is so simple, isn’t it. But we (ahem, I) complicate things. Choosing God. Choosing Life. Thanks, my friend!
Oh, yes I so know what it is like to have so many options. My brain is always spinning on new project ideas way before I’ve gotten the current ones completed. Or I get stuck on which ones to focus on! But choosing life makes it so much more simpler. Thanks for the sparkle today! I feel much more freer in the choices I do take on today. His way is simple–love.
Lynn, you’ve described me exactly. So many ideas, so little time! 🙂
God knew that we both needed rescuing from ourselves. I’m so glad I can share the lessons He’s put on my heart with you.
Blessings!
So resfreshingly simple and uncomplicated! Great post Marva for getting us back to His easy yoke and light burden. You did well with cutting through the pile of choices and finding the simple solution. “Choose life”. Yes! Happy to share on Facebook!
God knows we like to make things difficult for ourselves 🙂 and I guess that hasn’t changed much over the years. I’m so grateful that He makes life easier by narrowing down the choices for us.
Blessings to you, Gretchen. Thanks for sharing it on Facebook. #spreadtheshine
Great job with this post, Marva! Sharing on my Facebook page!
Thank you, Sarah! I really appreciate you sharing this and I pray it inspires someone to choose life today.
Wishing you blessings!
I love this post, Marv! With so many good paths vying for our attention, the call to focus on the best path. Choose life… choose God. Clear direction from our Father. Thanks for sharing such an encouraging and inspiring word.
And you know how much this advice is for me too, right? So many paths…which should I choose? I choose life! I’m glad you do too, my sister. 🙂
I love this Marva, you bring us right to the heart of where we need to be regardless of our many choices..
for without the life only given by God, what good are our choices! And when we live in God and have our being in God,we’re guided and led to a full life..and in faith we let go to see where God’s leading..needing to hear this today as I’ve been in a long transition of narrowing vocational interests..this helps so much to remind me of where I really need to be! Blessings!
I’m so glad it helped you gain perspective, Kathy. I’ve been known to over-complicate decisions a time or two but I’m slowly realising that putting God at the forefront is what’s important. When we choose LIFE through Him I believe He makes things clear over time, even those twists and turns.
Wishing you blessings!
I truly love that choose life verse, and also your reminders at the end of all that we have to choose (even in the small things).
That verse is a favourite of mine too, Jennie. And yes, we do need to make a choice but I love how God simplifies it for us, don’t you?
Thanks for stopping by today and getting the conversation started. Hugs to you!