My wife and I love the show called, "Parking Wars". I'm not even sure if it is still in production but every once in a while we find it on and we're sure to record it. It centers around the cities of Detroit, Philadelphia and few others and their efforts to battle illegally parked cars. It covers the impound lot, ticketing, towing and booting of cars. I am always amazed at the response of the car owner and their utter disbelief that they have had their car ticketed, towed or booted or impounded. Regardless of the person: black, white, young, old, veteran driver, new driver, 99% of the time it's simply not their fault. Even tough they parked illegally and didn't pay their tickets it's always someone else's fault. they rant and rave at the parking authority, they blame, they accuse, they shift all of the blame to anyone and everyone besides themselves. As I've renewed my interest in this show, I've been reminded of the fact that choices matter. The Scripture is full of examples of men and women who have chosen poorly and paid the price. In Genesis, Lot chose to move close to Sodom, a city known for its lifestyle of evil. In Exodus, the Israelites chose to build a golden calf in place of waiting on God. In Numbers, Korah's men decided to challenge Moses and his leadership and paid the ultimate price. In 2 Samuel, David takes Bathsheba as his own and experiences many great challenges as a result. Now I realize that some of us have experienced negative consequences as a result of the poor choices of others, but more often than not, it's our own poor choices that lead to our heartache. Galatians 6:7 says, "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap." We have to learn the lesson that our choices matter. You can't do and say things that are hurtful to your spouse and then be shocked when your relationship suffers. You can't talk behind people's backs and then wonder why your social circle is shrinking. You can't drink like a fish and then wonder why your job performance suffers. You can't continue to blame other people for your poor choices. Something has to change. Allow me to suggest that what needs to change, isn't everyone else. Proverbs 14:12 says, "There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death." At some point you have to realize that maybe, just maybe what you're doing isn't working and that perhaps you are suffering more than you care to admit. At some point you have to learn to tap into God's purposes and plans for your life. Isaiah 30:21 says, "Your own ears will hear Him. Right behind you a voice will say, "This is the way you should go," whether to the right or to the left. God desires that we listen to His wisdom for our lives. He's especially interested in us coming to Him before we make a whole bunch of stupid choices. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding." What do you have to lose? You've tried things your way for a while now. You've suffered and experienced heartache needlessly. Own your mistakes, seek His forgiveness and move on. Be encouraged and keep moving forward. Comments are closed.
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