The Importance of Attitude

So here is a question for you:  when you choose to do something or go somewhere, are you choosing or is God leading?  Is there a mixture of both happening or just one or the other?

I have thought about this question for a long time (years!) and I have always been one to lean toward the idea that where we find ourselves is more a working of the Lord than it is our independent choice.  But this has mostly been my opinion.  I wonder if God would have something to say about this. . .

God recognizes that humans make plans.
Proverbs 16:9 says "In his heart a man plans his course but the LORD determines his steps."
This would indicate that there are two dynamics working here--that we make plans and that the Lord is actively involved in where we are actually going in the real world we live in.  This is the outward reality.

Proverbs 19:21 says "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails."
This shows us that even though we make plans ultimately God's plan is the one that will be guiding.  This has to do with the inward reality of a person's heart/mind/soul.

So here is the question again:  when we decide to do something is it God who is making it happen or am I acting independently?

It really comes down to how we understand choice.  Choice is a powerful thing.  It gives us the ability to engage in the important moral and practical decisions that make up everyday life.  It opens up the possibility for noble/righteous/positive life and there is the simultaneous possibility of choosing an ignoble/unrighteous/negative path as well. 

In our sin we view choice in very hypocritical ways:  when we choose something that is successful, like when we make a financial investment and it pays off well, we take the good feelings that come with that and allow ourselves to puff up with pride because it was, after all, my choice to do that.  On the flip side however, our sinfulness causes us to pass the buck or to blame others, or outside circumstances when our choice causes harm or is unsuccessful. 

So is there another way to understand choice?

First we have to understand what choices God has given us.  As a Christian it is actually laid out fairly clear. 

Matt. 6:24 says that we cannot serve two masters--we will be devoted to one or the other, not both.  That tells me that if I belong to Jesus, then He is my master.  Is it right for me to imagine that I should be making choices independently of Him?  Do I have the capacity to make choices apart from Him--absolutely!  But we think that our range of choices are as vast as the options that are placed before us, and as children of God we are actually only given two that cover over every single possibility that we face daily and practically. 

We choose to either follow Him or we choose to follow ourselves.  We choose to give Him credit for the good, or we take the credit for ourselves.

I think the central element that ties together the internal (our hearts plans) and the external (the practical outworking of those plans) is our attitude.

Talking about that financial investment again:  If I made that decision without ever consulting God about whether this is something that I should do or not is wrong.  Why?  Because the resources I have and the life I have been given are not my own (1 Cor. 6:19).  If I do whatever I want with them then I am making those decisions out of an attitude of selfishness and I am serving me and not serving God.  If God tells me that I do not belong to myself, then the least I owe Him is to be very intentional to pursue Him in what should be done--what choice I should make.

But does that work in practical daily life?  Don't I have to make a million choices every day?  How can I put that under the Lordship of Jesus the way I am describing?

Again, it all comes down to attitude.  One can have an attitude of humility before God, and still make the myriad decisions that are necessary in real life.  But will we submit to Him that is the question?

That will mean that we intentionally give up control of our lives willingly to Jesus.  It might mean that when we want something we don't get it because it doesn't fit God's plan for my life.  It might mean that we get something wonderful that we don't deserve as well--because in submission to this great and good God we receive gifts that are beautiful! 

It is important that we learn from God what our choosing should look like because our culture tells us, all the time, that we have the right and the responsibility to make selfish choices (choose for ourselves), when God is saying that we should make selfless choices (ones in complete submission to Him).

We will always have to make choices, and there will be things that we need to say yes to and no to.  But the real issue as I have laid out here is not whether or not we make choices, but how
we make them.

What will your attitude be?

BT