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For a lot of people, freedom means that they are physically free – from imprisonment and restraint - but the ultimate and most exquisite form of freedom is making your own decisions and choices – having total control of your own life. Recognizing and exercising this freedom means that you accept responsibility for your life in every respect - your thoughts, words, actions, choices, decisions and creations.

The quality of your choices and decisions can be determined by the quality of life you experience as a result of those choices and decisions.

Joh 8:31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who believed on Him, If you continue in My Word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

The fact is that we don’t always believe that we have choices.

We often believe that others have power over us – and that’s why they make our choices and decisions for us.

• The fact is that we give them the power to make our choices and decisions for us. Not choosing something is in fact also a choice – because you choose not to choose.

• Just because you feel helpless or powerless in a situation doesn’t mean that you are not choosing or making decisions.

• When you sit by and watch others control you are ultimately responsible for it because you decided to allow the control.

• You choose the event by allowing it.

In order to make really good choices and decisions you need to have a very good understanding of your own needs, fears, emotions, moods, desires, pain, strengths and weaknesses.

• This is called self-awareness.

Phi 4:8 Finally, my brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are right, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, think on these things. 9 Do those things which you have also learned and received and heard and seen in me. And the God of peace shall be with you. 10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me has flourished again. Although you indeed did think, but you lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I speak according to need, for I have learned to be content in whatever state I am.

• It is not events or circumstances in our lives that lead to unhappiness and associated unhealthy emotional consequences, but rather our reaction to these events or circumstances.

• It is our irrational beliefs about and reactions to these events and circumstances that lead to unhealthy consequences.

Acknowledge that neither another person, nor an adverse circumstance, can ever disturb you - only you can. Others can cause you physical pain or prevent you from achieving your goals, but you create your own emotional suffering, or self-defeating behavioral patterns, about what others do or say.

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Deu 30:19 I call Heaven and earth to record today against you. I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore, choose life, so that both you and your seed may live, 20 so that you may love Jehovah your God, and that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him. For He is your life and the length of your days, so that you may dwell in the land which Jehovah swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give it to them.

Luk 14:28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he may have enough to finish it; 29 lest perhaps, after he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish, all those seeing begin to mock him, 30 saying, This man began to build and was not able to finish.

Some people make decisions based purely on the need for survival or for security. Others will take their emotions into account. How you feel about your decisions is extremely important, because ultimately you have to live with your choices. Feeling good about a decision or a choice is probably a good start, but there is a pitfall.

Pro 11:14 Where there is no wisdom, the people fall; but in the multitude of wise men there is safety.

Emotion-based intuitive decision-making can also be seriously defective if it’s based on inaccurate or irrelevant information.

Your intuition may tell you not to hire a person because of your prejudice against people of a different race or sex, even though they may be much better qualified for the job.

Making a decision based on your intuition alone may also be a problem in a group situation where you have to consider other people’s opinions.

Trying to convince them to go along with your choice simply because of your intuition alone clearly would not sway them.

People’s gut feelings about what to do may sometimes emerge from integrated unconscious judgments about the actions or activities needed to accomplish the goal.

Making decisions are not always easy.

We are influenced by our environment and others’ opinions. Gather as much information as possible.

Ask the opinion of the other people involved. An educated intuitive decision is a lot better than making a decision purely because it ‘sounded’ or ‘felt’ right.

Once you know all the facts, take a “litmus logic test”. Write all your thoughts and all the facts down on a piece of paper and ask yourself these questions:

1.	Is this factual?
2.	Is it in your best interest?
3.	Does it protect and prolong your life?
4.	Does it get you what you want?

If the answer is no to any of these questions, then you should consider an alternative.

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The Choices we Make

Rom 7:15 What I don't understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. 16 So if I can't be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God's command is necessary. 17 But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! 18 I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. 19 I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway.

How often do we perhaps feel the same, as does Paul when he writes this to the church in Rome?

How often do we stand before choices and we know that we know that we should not be doing this and yet we go ahead and do it. Simple example: I decide to go on a diet, I need to, I have to, and the doctor told me to. Then I face the chocolate cake, I know I have to walk away, but I just can’t. I have to have the piece of cake. I eat it, I enjoy it and walk away later feeling as guilty as sin. Get my drift?

What about the more serious stuff in life? Serious decisions, life-altering decisions that we need to make and then we go ahead and do the wrong thing. As if we are, `out of control`.

Paul writes, what I consider to be one of the most important confessions or admissions we can make, ever:

“I obviously need help! 18 I realize that I don't have what it takes.” Rom 7: 17(b) – 18(a)

I believe that so often, in our own arrogance, we believe that we can `handle` the challenges of life on our own. I often deal with substance addicted people, and always, almost without fail, their words are:

· “I can deal with this on my own” and they actually do say it with conviction and the best intention in the world.

· People struggling with compulsive behavior problems. “Ill learn on my own how to manage my problem”

I have found myself on occasion to think I know how to deal with a challenge on my own.

But, I am beginning to realize like Paul, I need help. We all need help.

Psa 121:1 A Song of the going up. My eyes are lifted up to the hills: O where will my help come from? 2 Your help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. 3 May he not let your foot be moved: no need of sleep has he who keeps you. 4 See, the eyes of Israel's keeper will not be shut in sleep. 5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand.

This Psalm starts of with a desperate cry for help and then an answer comes:

2 Your help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

We need to turn to the Redeemer, the Savior, the One who overcame and has given us the victory. In Him and through Him we can overcome, we can make and live, by the right choices.

Rom 8:10 And if Christ is in you, indeed the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of the One who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the One who raised up Christ from the dead shall also make your mortal bodies alive by His Spirit who dwells in you.