Who Ya Gonna Call?

Questions and decisions are ever present in life. From the time we should wake up (or the time we actually woke up) to crashing in to the pillow, our lives are a series of decisions. Many take place without much thought as we do things out of habit. The morning pit stop, shower, brushing of teeth and application of deodorant are done, even if one wakes up running late. Which clothes to wear stems from already deciding you’re going to wear something.

Other things take a little more thought. Life decisions like where you live, go to school (or IF you go to school) who (if) you get married, what house or car you will buy, who you’re friends with, and which ones you hang out with. Occasionally when I make these decisions, I like to talk them through with someone. The other day, I had some heavy thinking going on in my head, and I wanted to talk through it with somebody. I needed a fresh perspective and realized I could call someone who would tell me what I wanted to hear at the moment, or I could call someone who would tell me what I needed to hear.

Almost without exception, every bad decision I willfully made was done after finding someone to talk to who would agree with me. Think about every good or bad idea you have had. If it was bad and you wanted to do it, you knew who you could call to get justification for doing the wrong thing. If something good was a little scary, or risky, you knew exactly where to seek “guidance” away from the right thing to be able to stay in a place of comfort.

The other day I called the person who knew where I stood in my situation, understood my perspective, and isn’t afraid to tell me “what’s up.” There wasn’t a particular decision to make but I needed to hear some “harsh” truth about my thinking. The lesson I’m learning is what I want isn’t really what I want. What I want is permission to do what I want when I want and justification to not do what needs to be done if I don’t want to do it. This attitude leaves a person empty, selfish, lonely and frustrated.

What I want is what I don’t want. If we are honest with ourselves, what is best for us is the better future, which means some temporary unpleasantness. We all want the better tomorrow; getting that means having what we may not want today. The difference can often be as simple as who we turn to for advice. Solomon’s son Rehoboam, when he became king, he followed the advice of his friends instead of the counsel of his father’s advisors. This lead to the nation of Israel being divided into two kingdoms, which lead to many problems, especially for Rehoboam himself. It was too late for him when he realized he didn’t really want what he thought he wanted (see for yourself in I Kings 12).

As you approach decisions in coming days, weeks and on in to the future, consider what you want, and what you really want. Think about who’s gonna tell you the truth and who’s gonna give you the justifications or excuses you’re looking for at the moment. The question is simple: who ya gonna call?

P.S. Ghost-Busters

(couldn’t resist)