This or that? Here or there? Up or down? Right or left? Slow or fast? Yes or no? Do you see the pattern? It’s one or the other. Life is full of these types of decisions. Choices really. Did you realize that? I know I am working on this. I know I will be until the day I awake in heaven. However, here on Earth, I am determined to allow God to mold my responses. Better to go ahead and share what you have asked God to do, right?

I’ve spent time considering how upbringing, personality, circumstances, beliefs, lies etc.. affect our response to others. How it affects our decisions. How it affects what we see at true. How it affects what we see as right. What we believe. What I have discovered for myself is that I have lived the majority of my life responding to life the best “as I know”. “As I know” has been in opposition with what God says as I study the character of God and the character of Jesus.

Hear me, from here down this is an account of my walk with the Lord, none of which is in judgment of anyone else. Everyone’s walk with God will be their walk. God will prioritize for you what He needs you to surrender and when. My point in sharing is simply to voice the choices God has given me the opportunity to surrender and the blessings that came from my decisions.

After I decided that something was missing in my life. After I realized that something was God. After I tried to manifest the desire to read the Bible, and failed. After I asked God to give me desire and He answered. After I made the choice that every word of the Bible is true. Well, then there were choices to make. Leading us to the intro of this post. This or that. Here or there. You see my point. Sure, I could have continued to live the “American Dream”. I could have continued to follow the norm. But I was empty. Desperate for something different. When we pursue a relationship with God, He will begin to, by the Holy Spirit, shape us and mold us more into the image He desires for us. But only if we surrender to His leading. See, God doesn’t force His way upon us. Each choice is our decision to surrender or not to surrender. Some choices came easy. Some did not. Some are still in process. Some I have to surrender or confess daily. All were only possible by my choice to surrendering to God. Trusting His plan. Believing His word to be true.

As I studied and prayed several aspects of my life came to be a topic I felt God leading me to change. Quickly, God showed me walking with Him is more than a building a Sunday. Changes in my life was needed. They started with smaller things such as a TV show or a book I read or music I listened to. If something I see or hear or read or watch promotes behavior that the Bible speaks against, I have a choice to make. Is that right or wrong for me? Will I choose to surrender that or not? As I chose to obey and change what my eyes would see, what my ears would hear, what I allowed … God gave me assignments. They started small, such as serving. Giving of our time is Biblical and it is a choice. Will I surrender my time? They grew larger, such as leading a small group in our church. That was a choice to make. Will I put others as a priority or not? Then God asked me to open my home. To have small group there. I said “No, not that!”. He said “Yes, open your home.”. It was a choice. He asked me to give my testimony in front of many women. I was terrified. It was a choice. He asked me to speak in front of many women. I was terrified. It was a choice. I chose yes to these requests from God and I am thankful I did. I would have missed out on the blessings. The time I have from not watching TV. The blessings of knowing my small group of women for many years. The blessing of talking to others who connected to me through my testimony. The blessing of being used by God to speak His message to woman. It goes on and on…and my blessings increase each day.

You see what I am saying. God starts small with us. He gives us, if we are seeking for His guidance, a step at a time. See your walk with God as a staircase. If your goal is to walk from the bottom floor to the top floor, will you make it by choosing to not take the first step? No. You will remain on the bottom floor. Will you make it to the top if you take a few steps? No, you will be stuck in the middle. Will you make it to top by stepping up one step, then back down. Then up two steps and back down. Maybe you will, but you also continue to repeat the steps along the way. Do you find yourself repeating some undesired patterns or cycles? Take a step up! Trust God.

Are you ready for something different too? Seek God daily by reading His word. By praying over what you have read that day. By allowing God to speak to you regarding what you read. By choosing that the word of God is true and right for you. By writing down your prayers or what you desire to surrender to God, by asking for His help with anything that He asks you to surrender or convicts you of. By remaining quite and waiting to hear when God asks you to take a step – you find a renewed you. A you that is pleasing in the sight of your Creator.

Lord I pray for every reader who has thought that they too desire something different. The difference they need is you Lord. My prayer is that they come to you asking for their next step, thank you that you make our paths straight. I ask this in Jesus name. Amen