CHOOSE TO LIVE AND NOT DIE
Connect to Your Destiny
I have found in my research and study that, no matter what a person’s belief system is, most agree that our thoughts shape our life and destiny. There is a clear connection between thinking and behavior and, a person’s behavior is always connected to the outcome of that person’s life.
Those who believe in God, believe that our origins are in Him, and because our lives have their origins in God, our lives also have real purpose. We were created for a reason, with forethought and intentionality. We came from somewhere and we are definitely going somewhere. However, in spite of our origins and God’s specific plan, the fact remains that we hold the keys to our own destiny.
Colleen Moore has a website where she shares information, advice, and positive perspective. One story that caught my eye was about a man named Michael. Michael was one who could easily get under your skin. He was too nice, too happy, and too good. He always found a way to see the positive in every situation, even if it was a negative situation or conversation. Michael was asked by one of his coworkers, “How can you be so positive all the time?” Michael explained that his attitude was a choice. He had learned that both good and bad are going to happen, but that he had the power to choose whether he would be a positive person or a negative person regardless of circumstances. He decided he did not want to waste his life waiting for things to change so he adopted the mindset to be positive every day.
Sometime after this conversation, the lady who had asked Michael about his consistently upbeat demeanor decided to follow up and see how he was doing. It turned out Michael had been severely injured in an accident. He had fallen sixty feet from a communications tower. He had endured eighteen hours of surgery and a lengthy stay in an ICU. He survived the fall, but was destined to live the rest of his life with discomfort and limited mobility. When she was able to connect face to face with Michael, she asked how he was. His response? “If I were any better, I’d be twins.” Then he offered to show her his scars!
As they talked about the accident, he told her that when he was laying on the ground, his first thought went to his soon-to-be-born daughter. His second thought was that he had two choices: he could choose to live, or he could choose to die. He told her that the paramedics were great, successfully getting him to the hospital and encouraging him on the way, but when they wheeled him into emergency and he saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses. That’s when he got really scared. He could see in their eyes, “He’s a dead man.” As the nurse was excitedly interviewing him to prep him for surgery, she asked if he was allergic to anything. He responded with “yes” and the room got quiet as everyone listened for what he was allergic to. He took a deep breath in that moment and said, “Gravity”. Then, over their laughter, he told them, “I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.” Michael pulled through - seriously wounded from the accident - but fully alive in every sense of the word and fully convinced that his choices made the difference between life and death.
In Matthew 8:13 (NASB), Jesus stated, “It shall be done for you as you have believed.” This tells me that there is a fixed law in God’s creation. It says beliefs lead to aftereffects, and thoughts lead to outcomes. Therefore, we can build our lives on this law. We can “bank” on this law just like we bank on the outcome of gravity! Make your choice today. People who comprehend the connection between their thinking and their behavior, their beliefs and the outcome of their lives will taste the ultimate life.