Is this familiar to you? I'm pretty sure we've all been there.
Sometimes simple decisions are hard. Things like...
- going to bed early
- getting up early
- eating well
- working, or doing homework
- doing anything that involves motivation
It's funny how difficult simple choices can be. Sometimes I wobble back and forth on a super basic choice, like going to bed on time ("what's a bedtime?"). I realize that so often it's because I am waiting for someone else to tell me which decisions to make. I am waiting for someone else to motivate me when I'm really the only person who can make that kind of choice for myself. Or at least, I'm the only person who should.
At some point in our lives, it seems that we have to take things into our own hands a bit and realize we now carry the sole responsibility for our decisions. Growing up, teachers, parents, and all kinds of authority figures were the ones telling me what to do. Life wasn't that complicated because all I had to do was follow their instructions or advice, and things usually worked out. However, when I became older, no one really said, "Alright, you're an adult. It's time to make your own decisions." I was expecting that, though... Ironic, right?
It isn't as if we can't ask people's advice. It's not that we shouldn't seek God's direction; but as young adults, we are now sitting behind the wheel. We're not supposed to wait for others to advance our lives for us. God gave us brains, wills, and the ability to decide what to do and follow through on those choices; though He wants us to fully rely on Him, I'm also pretty sure He wants us to use them to make the choices we know are good for us.
So when I'm wobbling on whether to go to bed or continue to mindlessly browse Facebook, I can make a good decision for myself because I can. In a way, I'm the only one who can. When I'm wanting to eat healthier or stay more hydrated or exercise, I can make that decision because I get to do that. Though I don't get to tell anyone else what to do or how to live their lives, I get to control myself. In a way, I can design my own life, and decorate it with good decisions.
Sometimes what keeps us from turning objectives into actions is a plan ("how can I do this?"), but I'll cover that in another post. As of right now, it's enough for me to know that I can make my own decisions. Hopefully, that realization is enough to motivate me to actually do so. I don't want to miss out on living because I'm waiting for someone else to give me the okay to live my life. Ironically enough, realizing that I have the responsibility to make great decisions for myself takes away a lot of the pressure to do so. It's a good thing.
The freedom really comes when I understand that when I'm making good decisions, it's for my own benefit (they also usually benefit others, but it's okay to make them for me, too). It's not 'against the rules' to make mistakes. No one is telling me to grow for some subversive reason; they want me to grow into the person I can be. One of the transitions that comes with young adulthood is the taking on of responsibility, and even though it can be scary, it's also exciting. It's an opportunity. It's an adventure.
God, I know that though some decisions are simple, they can be so hard to do. Sometimes it's easy to feel like we're wandering about in life with no goals, or have no motivation to reach them. Sometimes we don't feel like we can actually do what we dream about, or that we can reach the places we want (or need) to go. I pray that You would help us rely on You and Your strength, and that You would show us the healthy and holy paths to take. Please guide us so that we aren't so focused on failure, or fear, or any of the other things that can hold us back in indecision. Thank You for freeing us and for being a good God. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
What helps you become motivated? How do you follow through on making good decisions for your life?
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