Have You Ever Had To Choose?
Have you ever played “What Would You Do If”?
Often in the domain of youth group discussion starters and philosophy and ethics classes in college, this game puts you in no-win situations where you have to identify tough choices.
For example, suppose you are on a life boat. The boat is overloaded and sinking. If two people leave the boat, the rest of the people are saved. The two people who leave will drown. What do you do? Ask for volunteers to go overboard? Force two people to sacrifice themselves? How do you choose which two people? By lot/chance? The weakest? The oldest? Would you willingly volunteer? What if you can’t volunteer but have to choose who lives and who dies?
The exercise is painful. It makes us explore our beliefs and values. We don’t want to have to take a decisive stand. We probably don’t like the stand we take.
Sadly, we make subtle choices every day and never realize the same dynamic is at play. In the scope of life and eternity, many of our choices have the same effect regarding life and death for ourselves, and those around us. Our beliefs and values are formed, revealed, and reinforced.
Because we make these choices incrementally, in seemingly innocent situations we never realize that we still had to process and apply our beliefs and values. We sort of “sleep” through it. And ignorance really can be bliss!
Take a moment and do a self-check. Based on where you invest your time, attention, and money, what are your values? What are your real priorities? Based on the conflict you avoid, or the decisions and experiences you are avoiding, what are you not committed to?