Planning ahead

Have you ever made a bad decision? Have you ever made more than one followed by another? If so, you are in good company. I have made good decisions, followed by bad. I have made wrong choices, letting my emotions over-rule what I know to be true. I have also made some impulsive decisions, while taking way too long to make others and found I missed the opportunity I was hoping to get by taking all that time to make. We make decisions at times that are more than 'momentary' decisions - they will impact our future for a lot longer than we expected. It is hard to decide before we have to make a particular decision to make it a certain way, but 'pre-deciding' makes it easier to make the right decisions later on.

Put God in charge of your work, then what you’ve planned will take place. (Proverbs 16:3)

If we take the steps today to determine our course of action before we have to make a choice, we are more likely to make the best choice in the moment. I get my groceries once a week and it is much easier for me to eat healthier when I prepare all those veggies and fruits at one time. I put in a few hours of washing, trimming, and then chopping all those veggies and fruits. I package them carefully and they are all ready for me to grab, add to my meal, and enjoy in ample supply. Time has proven the veggies that just end up in the crisper without any prep get to the point they are no longer edible. The time I take to eat right 'in the moment' is best when I have 'pre-planned' to eat right. Yes, it takes me a couple hours to do all that prep of meats, veggies, and fruits - - - but it is worth the investment up front.

When we 'pre-decide' to take a particular action (such as eating well), we are less likely to make decisions we will regret later on. Decisions today compound in a tremendous way. If we want to move in a particular direction, we have to pre-decide to take different actions now. When I put God in charge of my day, I am 'pre-deciding' to take a particular direction. How is it I can 'pre-decide' to let God take charge and then make some pretty bad decisions. I get lazy! I don't do the 'up-front' work to get the right results. The time we take with God each day is not just time to talk with him, discover truths in his Word, and get wisdom for your day. It is time to 'pre-decide' your actions for the day. It is also time to 'pre-decide' to lean into him when temptation comes our way - ready and able to withstand the enemy's attack. 

We are ready for our day when we 'pre-decide' the actions of the day. We are prone to get off-course when we lack 'pre-determination'. We all get tired, allowing our emotions to dictate our course, but if we have 'pre-determined' our steps ahead of time, we will make decisions based on 'values' and not on the emotions of the moment. Just sayin!