Because It's Good
If ever there was a poster child for indecisiveness, my face would be front and center. I often debilitate myself over the simplest decisions, struggling to see which option yields the greatest benefit. I carry even insignificant choices like a holy burden. And I often find myself agonizing over decisions I’ve made long after I’ve made them.
Did I make the right call to homeschool my boys? Did I choose the right curriculum? Should I have said yes to that opportunity? Am I overextending myself? Should we have really spent the money to go out the other night? Did that text come across too desperate? Is this outfit too Gen Z? Should I really be buying this novel when there’s a stack of self-help books half-read on my night stand?
I am desperate to honor God with my decisions and to ensure that I never waste a moment on the wrong thing. And while I hope my desire for obedience is always the determining-factor for my life choices, sometimes I wonder if I am not fully walking out in the freedom Christ gifted me. A freedom that says, “You see this world I created? I made it for you to enjoy. You see the sunset I painted? The stars I dabbled in the night sky? The gifts I indwelled in you? The people I surrounded you with? They are good. Enjoy them.”
Some things are black and white. Abraham was given a specific directive. We are all tasked with the great commission—go and make disciples. But we often forget that there are a thousand different ways to paint the same picture. We forget that our mission, though arduous and unclear at times, ought to include joy and laughter and really taking the time to see the beauty and say “thank you, God, for this gift.” I think we honor the Maker when we delight in what He has made.
When we buy flowers because they are beautiful.
Read books because they make us smile.
Wear the outfit because we feel pretty in it.
Write the song because it makes us remember.
Go for the run because we like the way the breeze feels against our skin.
Laugh often because it makes us lighter.
Put on the roller skates because it makes us feel like a kid again.
Take the trip because the world is big and worth exploring.
Call our grandparents because we miss their voice.
Jump in the water because it makes us feel alive.
Invite them over for dinner because we enjoy their company.
Kiss our spouse because we like the taste of their lips.
Dance to the song because we like the beat.
Eat the honey because it is good.
Yes, do the thing because it is beneficial. Because it provides positive outcomes. Because it is the holy and right thing to do. Absolutely weigh the cost and choose well. But also, do it because it’s good. Do it because it breathes a little bit of life back into that weary shell. Do it because God could have made a world void of color and variety. A world without wildflowers and the smell of fresh baked cookies. He could have made us without the ability to laugh until we felt it in our stomachs. He could have made us without feelings and thoughts and depth. But instead…He made honey. And He tells us to eat it because it’s good.
