The First Two Rs of Choice

I found this on Facebook yesterday. It's pretty powerful.

In a way, this is encouraging. In another way, it's discouraging.

It's encouraging to know that Satan cannot overpower us, that we are strong enough to successfully resist every temptation we face. On the other hand, it's discouraging to think of the times when we could have made the right choice, but we didn't.

This quote came from a talk titled The Three Rs of Choice. The three Rs are the Right of choice, the Responsibility of choice, and the Results of choice. This quote deals with the first two Rs. We have the right to make our own choices, and neither God nor Satan can take that right away from us. But with that right comes responsibility. Because no one can force us to make certain decisions or make decisions for us, we are the only ones who are responsible for every choice we make. Others can pressure us or encourage us, but ultimately, we are the ones that make our decisions, and we are the ones who solely responsible for those decisions.

But because I try to keep this blog mostly positive, I'm going to try to put a positive spin on this. Of course, it's awesome to know that no temptation can overcome us as long as we have a firm resolve. Satan can't make us do anything. We will always have enough strength inside of us to say 'No!' As long as we remember to tap into that strength and to put our foot down, Satan can't move us. That's pretty cool.

Also, taking sole responsibility for your own choices can be a good thing. Suppose you make a good decision. YOU were the one who made that decision. YOU were the one who did that good thing. God may have encouraged you through the influence of His Spirit, and there may or may not have been some positive peer pressure going on at the time, but if I may paraphrase a word or two, "No [encouraging], no pressure, no enticing can overcome [you]" or force you to do anything that you don't choose to do. YOU made the right decision, and you get the full credit for that. There may have been forces pulling for you, but there were also forces working against you, yet neither force had the ability to take the power of choice out of your hands. YOU made the decision, and you made the right decision. So good for you! You did good. You should be proud of yourself. I'm sure God's proud of you.

What I learned from all of this is that we're strong. We're strong enough to make good decisions, no matter what influences are present. With that strength comes the responsibility to use it. We have the power and responsibility to resist temptation every time it appears. But with that responsibility comes credit. When we make good decisions, it's all on us. Yes, God had an influence, and we should be grateful to Him, but we are the ones who make our decisions, and we can be justly proud of ourselves when we make the right ones.