by: Jonathan Painter
One day is so short, but yet so long. Twenty-four hours can seem like an eternity or can seem to pass in a matter of seconds. I once drove from East Texas to Miami, Florida with a friend. We took turns driving, but we did not stop except for gas and food. I literally watched a day pass before my very eyes. I saw the day from 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM. I saw the sun come up, and I watched the sun go down.
It has been said that the average person makes 35,000 conscience decisions every day and an innumerable amount of unconscious decisions within every twenty-four-hour period. All it takes is for one of those decisions to be wrong in order for one to wreck their life.
David found out the cost of making a bad decision in one day. He decided, one day to stay home from battle during the time when kings went forth to battle. The activities that ensued from that decision are documented in 2 Samuel 11, “And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.” It only took one day for David to make a decision that would mar his reputation for the remainder of his life and throughout all history. 1 Kings 15:5 says, “Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.” David’s sin with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, which later caused him to execute Uriah, was the only sin that was noted by the LORD after his death.
We must ever be conscious of the fact that our life might very well be defined by a bad decision made on a single day. Our life and future may hinge on one day. It only takes one bad decision on a single day to destroy one’s purity. It only takes one bad decision on a single day to destroy one’s testimony. We must be mindful of this truth and guard our steps as we walk through our lives day by day. How must we guard ourselves?
- We must guard our walk with God. When we walk with God, we are giving ourselves a better chance at avoiding bad decisions that could negatively affect our future. We often have the right intentions, but amidst our busy life we forget to truly walk with God. Read God’s Word, spend time in prayer and memorize God’s Word. “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” Psalm 119:11
We must guard our associations. I would venture to say that often a large percentage of those 35,000 decisions we make are affected by peer-pressure. We worry about what those around us will think hoping that we have made a decision that they will be pleased with. The wise person will surround themselves with people who will not put pressure on them to do bad, but rather good. This will help us avoid making the wrong decision that might affect our life forever.- We must guard our counsel. The wise young person realizes that there is a need for good godly counsel in their life. The wise person will seek this counsel from a God-fearing, Bible-based source. “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.” Proverbs 11:14
It is vitally important for us to remember that all it takes is just one day and our life could be changed forever. Guard yourself and your decisions everyday and you will find that your future will be better for it.
Jonathan Painter
Youth Pastor
Lincoln Baptist Church
Lincoln, NE
http://www.youngpreachersofamerica.com