The Destructive Nature of Ungodly Choices

I remember well as a teenager my choice of closest friends was not always the best—okay, it probably wasn’t even good. It wasn’t that I necessarily had “bad” people for friends, it’s just their ideals and morals were unlike mine. Having been raised in a Christian home and environment, I had been “sheltered” to say the least. Given the opportunity to spread my wings as I moved into junior high and high school, I found myself drifting further away from my Christian beliefs.

I also remember well how my parents spent a great deal of time “railing” against my choice of friends. To an individual growing into a state of rebellion, as was taking place within me, a negative effect was unleashed. The choice was made to dig in and gravitate more toward the friendships and the moral decay they were producing.

In my heart, I knew I was doing wrong. I was well aware of Paul’s strong warning that: “Bad company corrupts good character” (1 Corinthians 15:33 NIV). But, the good, Godly character that had once held a position of strong influence in my life had slowly eroded away as the waves of worldly influence were allowed to cycle in.

I actually had that verse memorized, quoted it to myself often and definitely recognized the destructive nature that I was allowing to course through my being through my poor judgement and choices. I was also keenly aware of the fact that my life had drifted away from the truths of God’s Word that I had once treasured into a world of deception, lies and deceit from the enemy.

Having had a call of God upon my life to be a preacher by age 13, Satan was determined to prevent such a thing from happening. He utilized my own lack of sensible choosing to continue drawing me down the wrong path—ultimately preventing me from fulfilling God’s call. Life became more and more like a roller coaster ride of choosing right for a time but quickly slipping back down the old path.

It seemed every time I would pull my act together for a time, I soon found myself slipping back into the old rut as the old friends appeared out of nowhere to beckon me back. The simple fact is I had choices to make. No one made me choose to follow a right path or a wrong path in life; I was given the freedom to choose. I understood there were consequences for my choices but my desire to follow after that which was conceived by my rebellious heart won out much too often.

I am certainly not happy nor do I glory in the outcome of my bad choices but through it all, God never left me. His Spirit continued to speak to my heart and gently nudge me to right choices. What I have become today is because God didn’t give up but helped me by His Spirit to make sound, right choices. As Paul said: “As for me, I will never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. The world has been crucified to me through the cross, and I to the world” (Galatians 6:14 HCSB). Definitely nothing I had done, but all what He had done for me!

We are all given the freedom to choose—to choose right from wrong, good from bad—and ultimately those choices result in an individual’s life outcome. Poor choices result in poor outcomes. You cannot blame anyone else for what you have become. Certainly your past, and situations in your past, can create barriers and obstacles to be overcome. Certainly, your upbringing lends a great deal to challenges you may have to overcome; but, with God’s help, a right attitude, and a desire to go the distance, you can become whatever you desire to become.

Choices confront you every day. Some offer only momentary satisfaction or meet a temporary need while others lend themselves to molding and shaping the rest of your life. I thank God that with His help, I eventually came to my senses, began making the right choices and got my life on track. Oh, I have still had my share of ups and downs, based on the choices I continued to make; but, God has helped me to find my direction through following Him, ingesting His Word into my life and fulfilling His call for my life.

Choose wisely! Choose your close friends and confidants wisely. Choose to worship God in a house of worship that offers strong Biblically-based discipleship training in the Word and offers Christian fellowship with people who have an intense love for God and for one another. Your choices will make or break you and the final outcome is based upon your choices from the very beginning.

Scripture Reading: “How happy is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path of sinners, or join a group of mockers! Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. He is like a tree planted beside streams of water that bears its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. The wicked are not like this; instead, they are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not survive the judgment, and sinners will not be in the community of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to ruin” (Psalm 1 HCSB).

Personal Prayer: Father in heaven, I have had my ups and downs. I’ve been through valleys I should’ve never trekked through. I have taken paths that You never intended for me to go down. But, in and through it all, You are with me. Please help me to submit my will over to You. Help me to base my decisions upon Your will, purpose and plan for my life. Help me to choose that which is right. I desire to please You, to honor You and to do Your will in all things. I love You and thank You for always being there for me…in Jesus’ name…AMEN!