Seven Decisions You Need to Make Now

we-cannot-direct-the-wind-but-we-can-adjust-the-sails26I don’t know your age. I do know we have teenagers, college students, and the oldest senior adults who read this “daily look at life and Scripture.”

Whatever your age–these decisions are best made as early as possible–these are seven decisions you need to be making right now.

Let’s take them in countdown style.

7. You need to be doing serious planning for retirement right now. Hopefully, you will live a long and healthy life (see #6). If you do, you will need to have made all kinds of decisions about savings, health care, and retirement. You are likely to live longer than you expect. If you do, you need to put plans in place for the future.

This is the most important part to remember: the most important money you save is what you will put away over the next ten years. It will produce more future income than any other.

6. You need to plan to live a long and healthy life. That means you must take control of your diet and exercise today. My mother told me “you are what you eat and what you think” (see # 5).

Many people live their lives intending to get their diet under control and to begin regular exercise. All you have to do is look around to understand that most people never start. We have more understanding of nutrition than ever before. We know the wonderful effects of an active lifestyle. We must be taking advantage of these advances in knowledge.

5. Change your attitude. Victor Frankl was a famous holocaust survivor who recognized that everything can be taken from a person but one thing: to choose your attitude in any set of circumstances. You can’t choose your circumstances, but you can choose how you respond.

It’s time to change your response to your circumstances. Set your mind on things above and you will see a tremendous step forward in your life.

4. Find a church and make it a central part of your life. People who go to church live longer and are more happy–those are well-established facts. But, there are greater reasons to get in church now.

Your children need your positive example. They won’t follow your example when they are in their teen years. You have to start now.

You need a place to minister to others and a group who will minister to you.

I could go on and on about church, but let’s end with this–the church is God’s plan.

3. Find someone to help. When you care about others, you will be the direct beneficiary of your giving and caring. It seems counter-intuitive, but this also is a well-known fact.

2. Work on your marriage. I usually suggest that couples constantly read good books on marriage. Nothing is going to make your life better than making your marriage better. When I am fulfilled at home, everything else becomes manageable.

1. Give your life whole-heartedly to Christ. “Take your life out of your keeping and place yourself in His keeping” (Ron Herrod). “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” (Matthew 16:26).