Five Winning Choices
By Rick Warren
“Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17 TEV).
We learned yesterday that, ultimately, your identity is based on your choices. Here are five winning choices you can make that will help determine your destiny:
1. You can choose to get healthier. Instead of bemoaning the fact that you don’t have an Olympic body, find ways to increase your energy, lower your stress, get more sleep, and have more power. Psalm 119:73 says, “Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands”(NIV). Improving the controllable factors in your life helps you reduce the impact of the uncontrollable factors.
2. You can choose to deepen relationships. The fear of rejection prevents connection, and the only way to get rid of fear is to do the thing you fear the most. Learn communication skills, replace bad relationships, and reach out and risk connecting with someone. “Let love be your highest goal!”(1 Corinthians 14:1a NLT, second edition)
3. You can choose to trust God, no matter what happens. “I will always thank the Lord; I will never stop praising him” (Psalm 34:1 TEV). When you get to the point in your life where you can say, “I praise the Lord, no matter what happens,” that is a confidence that you won’t find anywhere in Hollywood, on Capitol Hill, or on Wall Street. That is a confidence built on a relationship with God!
4. You can choose what you think about. Throughout the 20th century, scientists believed the adult brain could not be changed. When the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize winner proved that you can rewire your brain, science finally caught up to the Bible: “Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think”(Romans 12:2a NLT, second edition). Your self is created by your memories, and your memories are created by your mental habits. Feed your brain with truth — God’s Word.
5. You can choose Jesus as your Savior. I’m not just talking about Jesus saving you from your sins. I’m talking about letting Jesus be your Savior every day. Letting Jesus save you gives you the power to follow through on the choices you make. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come” (TEV).
You get to choose how much God blesses your life. He is just waiting on you to use your wild card! It is never too late to change. When you make these five winning choices, God gives you a winning hand.
Pray this prayer today: “Dear God, there are some things you’ve dealt me and life has dealt me and others have dealt me that I don’t like. But I thank you for the wild card. Thank you that you made me in your image and that I can make choices. Today, in your power and your strength, I choose to get healthier. I choose to do the things that will give me more energy and a healthier mind, body, and emotions. Lord, I choose to build healthy relationships. I’m scared to death, but I’m going to risk building new, healthy connections. I want love to be my highest goal; I want my life to be built on love.
“God, I choose to trust you, regardless of the circumstances. I will praise you, no matter what happens! I will trust that every detail of my life is being worked out for good. Lord, I choose what I will think about — no more junk. Help me to fill my life with positive memories and the Word of truth. Most of all, Jesus, I choose you as my Savior. I need your salvation, but I also need you to save me from myself. I need you to help me rewire my body, my heart, my mind, and my relationships so that the rest of my life is the best of my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
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This six-session video-based, small group study from Rick Warren, Dr. Daniel Amen, and Dr. Mark Hyman is centered on five essentials that will launch your journey to health: faith, food, fitness, focus, and friends.
With support from medical and fitness experts, Pastor Rick Warren and thousands of people from his congregation started on a journey to transform their own lives. Its called The Daniel Plan and it works for on simple reason: God designed your body to be healthy and He provided everything you need to thrive and live an abundant life.
This small group study is a vital component of The Daniel Plan because it emphasizes the powerful community component of the program. As Dr. Mark Hyman says, "community is the cure" for healthy living.
The Daniel Plan small group study teaches simple ways to incorporate healthy choices into your daily lifestyle. This study guide includes biblical inspiration from Pastor Rick, instruction from our doctors and wellness experts, practical food and fitness tips, and much more.
This devotional © 2016 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
You can also listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.