Devotion: Better Decisions
Please review the scripture from the weekend, 1 Samuel 3:1-10 & Romans 12:1-3
If there ever was a year for New Year’s Resolutions, 2021 is the year! When we began the series on January 3, I started my sermon with the recognition that 2020 was filled with bad decisions. We all suffer from poor decision-making in a normal year, but in the horrific year of the pandemic, social uprising and social isolation, I’m guessing that you probably are taking a good, long and hard look at your decisions from 2020. Even more, you are likely seeking to resolve to do things differently in 2021. If you’re not, perhaps you should be?
This new series is perfect for the New Year. Better Decisions, Fewer Regrets is a book by prominent pastor, Andy Stanley. It is the inspiration for this series. I hope you will read the book with me! We will learn to use five biblically based, targeted questions to help us make better decisions, and subsequently live with fewer regrets.
I believe the place to start is with the decision God makes – namely, to love us. I feel it perfect that we are starting this series in January, immediately after Christmas. You see, the decision God made, to come to earth as the Baby Jesus, is the first and most important decision in our lives. This first decision is not one we make, but rather is one God made – and makes each day – the decision to love us.
After what we have endured in 2020, and continue to endure as the pandemic wears on, we must remember that we are loved. No, our trials are not because God is punishing us. It may feel this way, but our walk of faith calls us to remember that God loves us. We know this because God chose to suffer and enters into our suffering. He gets it. Jesus suffered and God understands our suffering.
So we are two weeks into 2021… may I ask that you amend or add to your New Year’s resolutions? Perhaps you can read along with me, digesting the questions we will learn to ask ourselves?
I can tell you two things, for certain. First, if you decide to read this book, you won’t regret it. And second, Jesus loves you.
Written by Pastor Greg Bouvier
Pastor Greg heard God’s call to Sheridan in 1999 and that began a journey which has become his life’s work. Having played a variety of roles as pastor of Sheridan, Pastor Greg was called as the Senior Pastor in 2011. He now leads the staff and his primary focus is on the creation of culture, the overall direction of worship and partnering with our amazing team. Pastor Greg has been married to Rose for more than 30 years and together they have two servant-hearted grown children.