Just a Thought: Momentum

Part of God’s grace and mercy is shown in our freedom of choice. He knows where we’ll end up. And though He’d rather we chose Him and His ways, He, nonetheless, gives us a choice: surrender your life and follow Him or continue to live your days without Him. It's important to be mindful, though, that every decision you make has momentous weight to it, and it has consequences. Each time you choose between God and the world or good and bad, it gets a little bit easier to make the same choice when the opportunity comes around again. It’s easy to pick the flesh, but it’s vital that you pick God and what's good for you as often as you can.

I look at back at this last year of mine and I can't help but notice how much of an impact the small, seemingly invisible, choices I've made (both the good and bad) have had in leading me to where I'm at now. Every time we do something, anything, we've opened a door. You might not be thinking it actively, but the next time the option to choose that 'thing' comes around, your body basically says Hey! I've been here before, I know what to do! To pick your Bible up first thing in the morning, to skip class one day, to go to the gym, or to eat out rather than cook at home: Each time I picked this or that, it got easier to do it again--I'm sure we all have habits we've picked up along the way without having thought or done much about them.

Whether this year has been one of the best you've had or one of the worst or something in between, I've found that it's best to take a moment to pause before sprinting into plans for next year. Take note of all the habits you've picked up, or failed to drop, along the way. Literally open up your "Notes" app or put it on a piece paper. Look at each habit and break down the decision(s) which have led you to this point. Everything that takes you further from God should be an immediate red flag, something to be changed (don't look judgmentally, though, it's vital that we hang onto grace and humility in this process).

Then, take note of where you'd like to be next year and who you'd like to be. Look at what you're already doing well and be glad. Look at what you didn't do so well and find one or two small changes that you could make to turn you back in the right direction: leaving your phone on the other side of the room at night; packing your bag and picking an outfit out, and getting to bed a little (just a little) earlier the night before classes; and leaving your Bible on your nightstand opened to the passages you're looking to read next are all examples of small changes you could make. You could start right now! By no means is change easy, but it's necessary and it's not impossible. Take the baby steps, build momentum, and watch yourself step closer to God and to the person you wish to be.

Be blessed.

---

Verses to Look Back On:

Proverbs 3:6

John 15:1-17

Romans 12:2

Galatians 5:13-18

Philippians 4:8-9

James 1:5