Smart Girls Predetermine to Follow God no Matter How Difficult
By: Bethany Baird
A life changing decision needed to be made and I was the only person who could make the final call.
Deep in my heart I knew there were only two options: God's way or my own way.
I remember sitting with my Bible open to the book of Proverbs trying to fill my mind with Biblical insight. The more I read the more confirmed the answer became.
There was a problem though. I didn't like the truth. Choosing to accept the insight and wisdom I was gleaning from the Bible meant I had to make a really hard decision. One I wasn't interested in making.
Although I was very stubborn on the outside, deep in my heart I knew exactly what I needed to do.
A Pre-made Decision
Long ago I'd made the decision to follow God's path and trust in His Word no matter how difficult.
In my early teen years I had made the commitment to listen to wise counselors and trust the Bible's teaching no matter the cost.
I had concluded that in the heat of a tough decision I probably wouldn't have common sense or basic logic. I knew I'd need to have outside input or else I'd make a fleshly and stupid decision totally based on my feelings.
I'm so grateful I made that commitment early in my life and I'm extra grateful God gave me the grace to stick by it in the very difficult moment.
The commitment I made as a teen isn't a one-time commitment that keeps me from making big mistakes.
I realize that I'm one-hundred percent capable of acting sinful. Because of that my prayer is that God will always give me the grace to choose His Word over my feelings (or outside opinions) every time.
Where Most Girls Go Wrong
I've noticed that most girls in between the ages of 17-25 are faced with huge and life altering decisions. One of the biggest obviously being guys, relationships and marriage.
Sadly, most girls haven't taken the time to think ahead and pre-decide what they will do when faced with a hard decision.
Instead of thinking rationally and biblically, I've seen countless girls act on emotion and end up going down a path they never imagined they would.
Having been in serious relationships myself I can totally understand the irrational thinking and bad decision making.
If you don't make commitments ahead of time, like right now, you have high chances of doing things you never thought you would.
Here are some of the specific decisions and commitments I've pre decided to help me prevent making unwise decisions in the future.
These aren't all of them but they will give you the idea:
1. I won't marry a guy that my parents aren't in total support of.
2. I won't start a "secret" relationship with a guy.
3. I won't communicate with a guy on a consistent basis without my parents knowing about it.
4. I will seek outside wisdom and counsel whenever I am considering a potential option.
5. I will seek outside accountability and welcome help from those who know me best.
This small list only includes a few of my pre-determined commitments that I've set in place to help me choose God's path over my path when push comes to shove.
If you want to prevent making unwise decisions in your future, I can't encourage you enough to make commitments and stick to them.
Pray over them, share them with your parents, and start implementing them today.
Please don't assume that you will automatically choose the wisest, most God-honoring decision in your future. If you aren't fully prepared and spiritually ready to handle a hard decision, you probably won't make the right one.
Prepare Now for a God-Honoring Future
I want to challenge you to create your own list of commitments. Decide now what you are willing to do and what you aren't willing to do.
Have a vision for your future so that you will have a guide to stick to when the hard times strike.
Keep in mind that this list isn't full proof. It's simply a goal for you to shoot toward so that you can stay on the straight and narrow.
Smart Girls Plan Ahead
Smart girls don't assume that they are immune to stupid decision making. Smart girls realize that they are sinners and they plan ahead. They set boundaries in place, welcome outside wisdom, and prepare for a God-honoring successful future.
Final thoughts...
Do you have specific commitments you've made to help set yourself up for success in the future? What are those commitments? Have you shared them with an older mentor?
How are you currently setting yourself up for success in your future?
Article from: GirlDefined
