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The decision is now
A PDF version of this is available here
Introduction
I need a volunteer, someone who is younger.
Now I need someone who is, let's say "less young".
You would be surprised how long I spent trying to find a way to say that that wouldn't get me in trouble.
OK. So it's a bright, sunny, new day and both $YOUNGER_PERSON and $OLDER_PERSON wake up at the break of dawn ready to start a new day. It was then that it hit both of them.
They had been watching the Olympics the night before and remember seeing Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas, and other gymnasts throw themselves in the air and do amazing flips and twirls.
So $YOUNGER_PERSON screamed in excitement and said "I want to become a gymnast!" and then $OLDER_PERSON screamed in excitement and said "I want to become a gymnast!"
Both of them said they wanted to become gymnasts, and are prepared and ready to work very very hard for it.
My question for everyone is, who has the better chance of becoming a gymnast, YOUNGER_PERSON or $OLDER_PERSON
I hate to say it, but $YOUNGER_PERSON has the best chance at becoming a gymnast. It's simply because $YOUNGERPERSON is younger that their body will better be able to adapt to what's required to be a gymnast.
If I, for example, were to decide to become a gymnast today, it would be very very hard for me because the decisions I made with my body when I was $YOUNGER_PERSON'S age, has made my body work in a certain way that would be very difficult to change at my age.
It's not technically impossible, but would certainly be very difficult.
So to summarize this, the decisions you make when you're younger can have lasting effects on you when you are older.
You could even say, the decisions you made when you were younger and the decisions you make NOW are shaping you into who you will be tomorrow.
Neural Pathways
I want to read an excerpt from a science blog I found
Neural pathways are the connections that form between the neurons in your brain. And you can think of them as a pattern that represents any thought about anything you’ve ever had – as simple as an apple, as complicated as love and integrity, every thought is a neural pathway.
The basic idea with this is that every time you make a decision, you create a new neural pathway that will make it easier for you to make that decision or think about that thought in the future.
So when you do something repeatedly, you make that pathway easier to "walk on", making it more likely you go back to repeating that same action.
It's the compounding of these decisions that end up forming who you are.
A quick example of this: it is found that people who donate money when they're younger, are A LOT more likely to donate money when they're older. It's obvious, if you are accustomed to giving money away when you get older and have more money it'll be a lot easier to give.
That's why paying tithe on what you make is so important regardless of how much you make or how old you are. You're putting a vote towards being someone that's generous towards God.
It's habits formed in the youth like this that lead the bible to say to parents:
6 Train up a child in the way they should go, And when they are old they will not depart from it.
Make your decisions wisely
Every thought you have, and every decision you make will lead you to become more like that kind of person.
So when you react negatively and gossip against someone, you're putting a vote towards becoming the kind of person who gossips.
When you react positively and show concern and care for someone who wronged you or you dislike, you're putting a vote towards becoming a compassionate person.
The more you choose to follow what you know God wants you to do, the easier and better person you will become 20 years from now.
The decisions you make now are powerful!
And for those of us who are further along in life, we can rest assured that if God can put a camel through the eye of a needle (Matthew 19:24-26 (NKJV)), He certainly can work to reverse the damages that our past decisions have on us.
but we should all remember, the decisions we make now, are powerful.
And to make this very practical, ask people who are older than you for advice when making decisions. They have seen the way their decisions have affected them, so they can be a great aid in guiding your life. Whether that's asking how to handle certain situations with friends, or just general advice on things to look out for in life.
And it goes the other way too, older people, ask younger people for advice since the world is much different today than it was when each one of you grew up.
15 The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
So ask for advice!
And remember, the decisions you make now are powerful and will form who you will be in the future. Make decisions that will lead you to become Godly.