Reflection – our choices
Decisions, decisions, decisions…… we make them all the time, many times without having to give them much thought. And often, we also don’t think that what we say and do has impact on others. But it does. That is why algorithms are of such interest to those who would like our money or our vote. It vaguely disturbs me that everything I have ever bought at Tesco when I have swiped my store card is on record. When I log in to do my shopping on line, it is all there. Sometimes useful, if I have forgotten an item, but often it just tempts me to click onto something I don’t need, or didn’t know I needed. Crafty eh?
So Tesco knows what fruits I like best, that I don’t purchase ready meals, that cheddar is my favorite cheese. As I also do ReStore shopping, let the record shows that I purchase 16 boxes of cereal every month. That makes me laugh; hahaha Mr Tesco, you don’t know me as well as you may think you do!
This ability of humans to make choices is a precious gift from God, isn’t it? One of the reasons the pandemic has had such a dreadful impact in Western countries is because we do not live under draconian law, we are unused to having our choices so curtailed. The benefit of being able to go about freely, to explore new ventures, to travel to different places has been taken for granted. But it has come at great cost.
No cost can be greater than that people have decided that they can go it alone, that God is not relevant, that we can rely on self-help to get us through life. And it applies to us all. We may have committed ourselves to God, we may endeavour to walk every day with him, but because we are human we will make wrong choices. Every day we are in need of God’s grace.
To really live life in all its abundance is to recognize that a right relationship with God is acknowledging our need for him and his mercy, every day.
This humility can be expressed, as David did, in the words of Psalm 31: 3-5:
‘You’re my cave to hide in, my cliff to climb
Be my safe leader, be my true mountain guide.
Free me from hidden traps; I want to hide in you.
I’ve put my life in your hands.
You won’t drop me,
you’ll never let me down.’ (The Message)
God bless you.