“The Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk blamelessly, guarding the paths of justice and preserving the way of his faithful ones.” Wisdom 2:6 -8
IMPORTANT CHOICES
We are all used to making small decisions in our daily life, like what clothes to wear, what to eat for dinner, which book to read, what time to go to bed. But there are times when the important decisions that we have to make can have a real impact on our future lives, such as which subjects to take at A level, which course to study at University, what career to choose, who to marry, where to work. Whatever the circumstances, the decisions that we make now, determine the direction of our lives in the future.
THE RIGHT DECISION
In the Gospel of St. Luke chapter 19 there is a story of a man who made a decision that changed his life. Zacchaeus was a tax collector, a very rich man, who lived in Jericho. He had heard about the miracles that Jesus had performed, so when Jesus arrived in Jericho he wanted to see him. As it was very crowded and he wasn’t very tall, Zacchaeus decided to climb a sycamore tree so that he could look down and see Jesus passing. As Jesus approached, he looked up and said to Zacchaeus, “Come down, for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried down and was happy to welcome Jesus to his home. After meeting Jesus, Zacchaeus said to the Lord, “Half of my possessions, I will give to the poor and if I have cheated anyone out of anything, I will pay them back four times as much.” Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house.” Zacchaeus decided that he wanted to see Jesus and that decision changed his whole life and because he chose wisely he and his whole family were saved. If we also decide to follow Jesus and believe in him, that choice will lead us to salvation and our whole family will be blessed. “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you and your household will be saved.” (Acts 16: 31)
A DECISION THAT CHANGED MY LIFE
After completing a pharmacy course, I planned to open a local chemist shop but while I was practicing as a pharmacist, I gradually felt myself being drawn towards studying nursing and becoming a nurse. At that time I was fascinated by the services provided by nurses both in hospitals and out in the community and developed a passion for their work. My parents were not happy but reluctantly they agreed that I could change my profession. After completing a Master’s Degree in nursing, the Lord sent me to different parts of India and to the Middle East to work and eventually I moved to Great Britain to further my career.
INSPIRED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT
It was only after arriving in England that I realized that it had been the Holy Spirit who had inspired me all those years before to start training to be a nurse. If I hadn’t made that decision then I would not have had the opportunity to travel around so much and it wouldn’t have been possible for me to come to England. I also realize that God had a purpose in bringing me to this country because he has chosen me to be part of Sehion Ministries, a Catholic Charismatic group, dedicated to spreading the Word of God throughout the world. Now I serve the Lord through this ministry by helping to conduct retreats and conventions for young people and adults around the UK and in other countries. God has a plan for each and every one of us, “I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11) Now, when I look back, the decision that I took to change my career from pharmacy to nursing was the turning point in my life and I can clearly say that decision was the right one, at the right time and in the right direction.
HOW WE CAN MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES
When we have important decisions to make we can ask the Lord to help is in a number of ways:
Ask The Holy Spirit for guidance: We all need wisdom to make the right choices in our lives. The Holy Spirit will guide us to make the right decisions. “If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given to you.” (James 1:5)
Read the Word of God: Reading and meditating on Scripture in the Bible enables us to listen to what the Lord is saying to us. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105) Listening and obeying the word of God strengthens us and helps us to decide what will be the best course of action. “This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth: you shall meditate on it day and night: so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful.” (Joshua1:8)
Pray: It is important to spend quality time in prayer asking for wisdom to make the right decision. It could be in personal prayer, Eucharistic Adoration, prayer meetings or going to Mass. This will help us to draw near to God so that we can hear his words of guidance. God wants to help us to make the right decisions in our lives at th e right time so that we go in the right direction. He wants to shower us with his blessings helping us to live our lives to the full as God intended Wisdom 2:6 -8 for each one of us.
Written by : Shibu Kurian