The Impact of Our Decisions

Bill Murray is a funny guy. I am amused by movies like What About Bob. In this film Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss are the primary stars. Murray plays Bob Wiley, a mentally unstable patient. Dreyfuss is his egotistical psychotherapist, Dr. Leo Marvin. Much to Dr. Marvin’s disgust and anger,  Bob follows Leo and his family on vacation.

Bob befriends the members of Leo’s family, and they help each other overcome their problems,  but the Bob’s continued presence pushes the doctor over the edge.” Leo’s family accepts Bob and their lives are impacted by their decision to allow him into their vacation. Dr. Leo does not, and as a result he disintegrates emotionally. He becomes psychotic.

Dr. Leo made the wrong decisions about life, his own prominence, and those around him. He modeled this quote by Bill Murray: “Everything happens for a reason. But sometimes the reason is that you’re stupid and you make bad decisions.”

Types of Decisions

While not every decision is equally important, the cumulative impact of many small decisions can be significant. Sometimes a single decision can lift you to unexpected prominence. For example, in Luke 23:50-52, there is a man who decided not to follow the decision and actions of the council that wanted to destroy Jesus. The text says this: “Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.”

This decision to stand against the crowd earned him an honorable mention in the scriptures. There aren’t a host of individuals listed as “good and righteous” but there are a few. He joins that minority. Furthermore, understand that his willingness to see that Jesus was buried according to prophecy (in a rich man’s tomb) went against what his peers would have liked to see.

John 19:38-40 adds some light to the event: “After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.”

He went from being fearful of his countrymen to taking the risk of doing what God placed on his heart to do. God had said this would happen.

Isaiah 53:9 “And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.”

How to Identify a Follower of Jesus

They resolve to live life differently from the crowd and the “accepted opinions.” This is based on a heart commitment to follow Christ and live like following results in decisions and actions.

1 Corinthians 2:2 “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”

2 Corinthians 9:7 “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Five Minute Friday

This post is part of the weekly Five-Minute Friday link-up.

All scripture passages are from the English Standard Version except as otherwise noted.