“We make defining decisions every day.”
Our pastor said that this weekend. His context was the parable of The Good Samaritan. I’m sure he made lots of insightful points, but I got stuck on that single thought.
“We make defining decisions every day.”
In the parable, each character made a number of “defining decisions.” It’s tempting to focus on the BIG choices to help or pass by. But what about…
- Each man’s decision to travel that road on that day.
- The Samaritan’s decision to pack first-aid supplies.
- The innkeeper’s decisions to continue care and trust the Samaritan for additional expenses.
We can speculate, but you and I can’t know the back story. We don’t know what led to each of these choices, but each one impacted the outcome.
I got stuck on this notion because it reminded me that my choices matter, and often I can’t know in advance the impact of a particular decision. Here’s what this doesn’t mean.
It doesn’t mean I should obsess endlessly over every possible alternative. It doesn’t mean I must carry three spare umbrellas and a snow shovel because, well, you never know. It doesn’t mean I’m supposed to fret and feel guilty about not being prepared for every possible calamity.
It means, I think, that I ought to be mindful, that I should choose as carefully and wisely as possible. And once I’ve done that, I can let it go because I believe God will use my choices for good.
A friend once said our decisions don’t matter because God’s in control. I’d say that knowing God’s involved inspires me to make the best possible choices.
So it’s a reminder of a basic principle.
Do our best, and trust God for the outcome.