day 525: Decision Day

Today, all across America, people will be taking time before, after, or during their workday to go to an election poll and cast their vote. This happens in some form each year, but it's only during the Presidential elections and the two-years after that the country starts paying much attention. On election day we are given the opportunity to exercise our democratic right and we choose our elected officials and take a stand on issues that are up for vote. We stand in a booth, or we fill out a ballot and we make decisions. It's not unlike work and the jobs that we do where we make decisions all day long. The difference here is that we make a decision that no one really knows that we made unless we tell others when we are asked. Nonetheless we are forced, all at one time as a country, to make a decision. I sometimes wonder if one of the reasons we have such a low voting percentage in our country doesn't hinge on people's unwillingness, or fear, of making a decision. If our jobs and workplace are any indication, then this could be a real factor to low voter turnout. I have observed how hard it is for people to make decisions. I know that more people are indecisive than not, because when someone is decisive, they get called out and recognized for being so in a very favorable way. We are to be decisive and know where we stand on things. James tells us just this in his letter; "People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. They can't make up their minds. They waver back and forth in everything they do." Decisiveness does not come naturally to us. Many of us have to be forced into it before we will make a decision. That is probably why there is an election day process; to be a forcing function for a collective decision. Today, consider if you are being decisive or not? Are there decisions that others are waiting on from you? If so, also consider that today would be a good day to get those decisions behind you. Make them and move on. Election day is a decision day, so let this be a decisive day for all of us.

Reference: James 1:7 (New Living Testament)