Choices

Give me a helping hand, for I have chosen to follow your commandments. Psalm 129:173I have been trying to teach my grandchildren the value of making choices. I explain as simply as possible that we all make choices. Sometimes we choose with knowledge and understanding and sometimes we don’t. 

I explain there are good choices and of course bad ones as well.

They seem to understand that part of the concept.
Then we get into the discussion of consequences that result as part of the choices we make. Again, there are good consequences and bad consequences. And, I explain further that discipline most of the time comes with the bad choices we make even if we are sorry.

“But, why?” they ask. “Isn’t being sorry enough?”

“Not necessarily,” I explain. I give examples of disciplinary actions and the one that turned on the light was my example of running a red light while driving and we cause an accident and someone gets seriously hurt. We get a citation and we have to pay for that and sometimes there is more involved. We can be sorry we ran the light but the consequences of that wrong choice still prevail. 
They know that stopping to think before making a choice is probably a very good practice and we go over this quite often. And, just as our children’s choices and grandchildren’s choices affect their relationship with us; so do our choices affect our relationship with God.
I have chosen to serve the Lord. I have chosen to live for Him. I have chosen the Lord as my Lord and King. I have chosen to follow Him and take up my cross. I have chosen to love Him with all my heart. I have chosen to live the best life that is offered so freely to me. I have chosen to trust Him. And I have chosen to call on Him whenever and wherever and He promises to be there. I have chosen to improve the development of my relationship with the Lord.
And, as a result of these choices I am promised an everlasting life…what other “consequence”can “beat” that?