Lifestyle Choices (Psalm 1)

Dear Child of Mine,

Since the day you were born, I have prayed for you. As you venture out on your own, I pray that God will fill you with His wisdom, so that you will make wise choices. Life is just that, a series of day-to-day choices. Each decision we make, each daily choice, determines the next choices we are faced with in this maze of life.

As a child, I was required to memorize Psalm 1 for Sunday school. It occurred to me recently while re-reading this passage that it presents a wonderful lesson on lifestyle choices, contrasting the way of sinners and the way of the righteous. I encourage you to read it for yourself, but for your convenience, I have paraphrased it in this love letter to you.

Scriptures use various terms to refer to the people of God, those whom he receives in His presence and favors with His salvation and blessing. One of those terms is righteous. It doesn’t mean perfect, but rather refers to one who faithfully responds to God’s directives for life, for this is the path that leads to blessedness. Scriptures also use the term blessed to refer to the happy condition of those who revere the Lord and do His will, and put their trust in Him, and as such are blessed by God.

Here’s basically what the psalmist is saying:

A blessed person does not live his life according to the ways of the wicked or even seek advice from them. He does not choose to participate in their chosen, ungodly way of life, or to spend his time with them, for their lifestyle choices openly ridicule God and defiantly reject His law.

Rather, this happy man will delight in God’s word. He will seek guidance for his life in God’s word, rather than the decisions of the wicked. As a result, he is like a strong tree that withstands the buffeting of the winds and lives to provide strength and nourishment to all around him.

Not the wicked! They are like chaff, which is carried away by the lightest wind. Tragically, the wicked will not be able to withstand God’s wrath when he judges.

So remember this: as you navigate through this maze of life, if you choose the lifestyle of righteousness, the Lord will watch over you, for your very life honors God, and everything you do, every choice you make will be in accordance with His will. However, if you choose the lifestyle of the wicked, you are also choosing the tragic consequences that come with that lifestyle, both now, and forever.

Rest assured that this scripture is not only for the young. Even at my age, I am faced with the same day-to-day lifestyle choices. My prayer for you is that you figure out at a young age what took me many years to learn, for I love you with an all-consuming passion, a special kind of love that a parent has for a child. God placed this love in me the moment I knew you had been created, and it will fill my heart until the day I die. I am so proud of the person that you are becoming and so blessed to be your mom.

I love you,

Mom