Pastor’s Corner | Choices determine life outcomes

I just got my Western Horsman magazine in the mail today. An article titled, “Cowboy for Hire: The risks and rewards of day work” caught my attention. The article began with a “help wanted” ad.

Wanted: Day worker. Long hours, difficult task, unpredictable schedule. Pay not always commensurate with experience. Benefits include freedom, family time, opportunity to be horseback.

One day working cowboy was quoted to say, “It’s the worst way in the world to make a living, but it’s the best way of life.” You have to admire men and women that break away from the mainstream to pursue their passions and values in life.

This article got me to thinking that life is all about choices. I would say that 99.9 percent of the time, we are who we are and where we are in life because of choices. Those choices include what values we adopt, which path we take and how we respond to those uncontrollable events in life.

These cowboys chose to forgo good pay in exchange for freedom, family time and the opportunity to be horseback. I’d say that’s a pretty good exchange as long as they are providing for their family.

I want to share a couple of things to think about that will help us make the right choices in life.

1. Don’t always follow the mainstream.

History is filled with great men and women who achieved great things because they broke away from the mainstream. Henry Ford once said that if he were to ask the general population what they wanted they would of said faster horses.

Jesus once said that those who follow him must enter through the narrow gate. The mainstream travel a path thatleads to destruction. Christ followers must break away from the pack when Jesus is leading the other way. What is he leading you to do? Dare to be different.

2. No excuses.

Someone once said that in each of us is an eagle that wants to soar and a hippopotamus that wants to wallow in the mud. The hippo in us is always looking for excuses to stay in the mud.

Why? Could be because we are scared of heights. Some folks are comfortable living in defeat. Whether that defeat is physical, financial, relational or spiritual that defeat becomes what we are comfortable with. So we make excuses as to why we cannot get out. “I’m to addicted,” “I’m not smart enough,” “I have no support,” “It’s too hard.” Eventually we convince ourselves and once we convince ourselves we are pretty much stuckas long as we are content in wallowing in the mud.

Bottom line is you can follow Jesus or make excuses but you can’t make excuses and follow Jesus.

Whether God is leading you to be a day work cowboy, a home-schooling parent, an entrepreneur or start a new ministry, just know that it can happen. It’s your choice.

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Editor’s note: Tim Wallace is pastor of Cross Brand Church. To contact him, e-mail [email protected].

For more of Tim’s articles, go to www.tallinthesaddle.wordpress.org. His column is being republished to include information that was omitted from the column when it was previously published.

Church, Pages 2 on 09/08/2010