January 19, 2024

When a person like the young man in this story ends up in a desperate state of being, they often act as if they’re confused—as if they don’t know how they got there. But most of the time, the answer is pretty simple. It was a long trail of bad decisions. The young man asked for his inheritance before he was wise enough to manage it. Bad decision. Then he decided to leave the supervision of his father and others who could have helped him invest it properly. Bad decision. Then he decided to surround himself with an entourage of moochers who would help him blow it all on wine, women, and wild living. Bad decision. Have you caught the pattern yet? It was bad decision, bad decision, bad decision, pigsty.
But then, in that broken place, he had his “mirror moment” and did something remarkable and life-changing. He made a GOOD DECISION. “I will go home to my father.” He decided to swallow his pride and ask for his father’s help. He decided to stop blaming and living in denial and own his mistakes and failures. He decided he would confess his sin, repent of the road he was on, and ask for a second chance—even if it was just the opportunity to be a ranch hand. That one, HUGE decision to go back to his father saved his life, preserved his future, and gave him the opportunity to live differently. He couldn’t get back what he had spent. But he could stop the downward spiral and began the path toward health, hope, and healing.
One good decision can change your life. What would YOURS be today? Maybe the decision to make amends with someone close to you whom you have wronged. Maybe the decision to stop the cold war with your spouse and seek to bring warmth, closeness, and love again. Maybe the decision to stop putting your job ahead of your kids and actually spend quality time with them. Maybe the decision to finally get help to conquer your addiction, to see a counselor about your painful past, or to talk to your pastor about the spiritual desert you’re in. One good decision won’t make the consequences of all the bad ones just go away. But it will stop the downward path that you’re on and get you headed in the right direction. Your Father still loves you. There’s still time if you want to make things right. The life you really want is a lot closer than you think. That’s the power of One Good Decision. That’s God’s Word for you today.