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motivation

The Freedom to Make Bad Choices

Ooh! That choice may come back to haunt him! But I can relate. My inner child likes to make gluttony an Olympic sport. I’ve been called a cookie monster fairly recently. I have made my way through scores of cakes, pies, and assorted baked goods over the years. They would probably fill an Olympic size pool.

Cartoon of a boy with a big mouth about to consume a birthday cake. The caption reads, "This choice make come back to haunt him."

We have the freedom to make bad choices every day. Of course, there is always a price to pay. If I didn’t attempt to control my appetite and never exercised, I could be facing a much heavier body with chronic illness. But that would be my choice.

I could choose to weigh thirty pounds heavier as I did twenty years ago. It would be my choice, because as Zig Ziglar said, “I never accidentally ate anything!”

Some bad choices are made knowing there are consequences. Some are made out of ignorance. We can be foolish and choose to ignore the wisdom that can save us from heartache. Some bad choices are made out of entitlement. We think we deserve something so we feel justified in making that choice.

But when we make a bad choice, let’s be honest enough to admit it was our choice. It does no good to blame others for our bad choices. It reminds me of this proverb:

The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the Lord.

Proverb 19:3 KJV

Yes, we have the freedom to make bad choices. But we also have the responsibility to own up to them. The next time I see a plate of cookies (especially chocolate chip cookies), I will probably indulge. But I won’t blame anyone but me if I gain a few pounds.

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This may take a while, Pastor!

Cartoon of a man kneeling at an altar. He says to a pastor, "I've had quite a week. So you might as well get comfortable."

Confession is good for the soul. But it occasionally backfires. I’ve been in a situation where I apologized to someone for an offense I was sure I committed so long ago. Then to my surprise, the person didn’t remember it. At least they didn’t until I brought it up again. Either they learned to forgive and forget, or my conscience betrayed me into confessing something no one remembers I did.

However, an altar call and some confession really is good for the soul. Too many people carry a heavy burden of guilt and shame. It is good to get it out there with a compassionate pastor. But if you keep having “one of those weeks,” perhaps it’s time to talk with your pastor about some ways to be led not into temptation!

I drew this for the July 2017, Church of God E-newsletter.