Chapter 13

It is not the absence of challenge, provocation, or aggravation that makes your life gratifying or meritorious. It is the choices that you make in your reactions to deal with them that determines the quality of your life. Ever since Adam and Eve, it has proven apparent that humans have the inescapable requirement of making choices.

The reason the tree of knowledge was placed in the Garden of Eden was to show man that he is not autonomous (self-governing); that he is a created being with limitations on what he may do. This principle of choice is an everlasting example of how we are to view our relationship with God. If at any time you do not want to submit to God, then you are free to go create your own universe. If you cannot do that, then you better submit to the universal power of God.

Most times you don’t get to select your challenges; sometimes your challenges are the direct consequences of previous choosing. You may not even like any of the available options. However, you never lose the freedom and responsibility to choose. When these choices are determined by moral virtue and high values, you bring purpose, meaning, and integrity to your life.

On earth, you are not punished for your sins, but by them. To learn and not to do, is really not to learn. To know and not to do, is really not to know. It is, therefore, imperative to transform belief into faith and exemplify faith with actions. Life is about taking action. Quality beliefs set in motion good actions.

The discipline of clear thinking is crucial to success. Some people think, some people think they think, and still others would rather die than think. The quality of your thinking determines the quality of your decisions and choices. Your decisions determine the actions you take. The actions you take determine your results. Your results determine the quality of your life. And all this starts with thinking clearly.

You need to take time to think. Fast decisions are usually wrong decisions. If you’re going to make a decision that will have long term consequences, then you have to give it a lot of thought, look at it from every side carefully. The more you think about a decision, the better chance of it being right and good. How many times have we thought “if only I would have thought things through a little more...”