Each of us makes choices every day and then later we may regret those choices. But all of our “if only’s” will not change what is. When we make a choice, it always affects other circumstances and other people in some way. There is only one choice that I can unequivocally say that I have never regretted. Almost fifty-four years ago, I accepted the Lord Jesus as my Savior. Max Lucado says this in in book, He Chose the Nails:

“One good choice for eternity offsets a thousand bad ones on earth.”

We may choose the wrong people to hang out with, choose the wrong job, choose the wrong outfit to wear to a party. None of those have everlasting consequences, especially if we change the choices in mid-stream. But our choice to make Jesus the Lord of our lives determines where we will spend eternity. It also affects all of the rest of our choices that we make for the rest of our time on earth, or at least it should.

I have plenty of regrets about some of my bad choices, but since becoming a Christian, I try very hard to choose the way that I think the Lord is leading me. Sometimes I get it wrong, so I have to confess to the Lord my error and turn around and start again. God’s grace allows me to do that. His mercy doesn’t zap me right away for my wrong choice. As a Father of love, He is in the business of disciplining me and leading me the right way so that my choices more closely align with what He would want me to choose. He still allows me the freedom to choose, but He also disciplines me with consequences because of His great love for me.

Do you allow your child to run out into the street to chase a ball? Or to go with a stranger just because he has a cute puppy? Of course not! You train your child that the street can be a dangerous place and that strangers are not always trustworthy. These are hard and important lessons to learn. An innocent child may make the wrong choice, but a caring parent is right there to rein them in and keep them safe. That’s how God is for us. He doesn’t let things harm us on purpose but He does allow us to make choices and then reins us in when that choice is too detrimental of us spiritually, mentally or physically.

The best way I know to make a good choice is to pray about it before I make it. Not necessarily small things like what to eat for breakfast, but anything that could impact your life and that of others deserves some honest time with God in prayer.