Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

Today we’ll examine the consequences of rational versus irrational decisions.

1 Corinthians 3:12‭-‬15 (NLT) says…
Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.

Consider…
Have you done things you regret? I suspect everyone reading this will say yes. If you haven’t, that probably means you either have low standards or just an I don’t care attitude.

There’s a popular saying that we should “live life with no regrets”. I was curious what that means, so I Googled it and found the following from Better Place Forests, “To live life without regrets doesn’t mean you never make a mistake. It doesn’t mean you never fail. It means that you live life to the fullest and learn from your experiences. We all have things we regret doing — or things we regret not doing.”

That’s pretty good advice to “live life to the fullest and learn from your experiences”. The question is what is living life to the fullest. Well as a believer, we could look to John 15:9‭-‬11 (NASB) to
get an answer from Jesus, where He said…
Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

We could also find encouragement about our ability to live life to the fullest from the Apostle Peter in 2 Peter 1:3 (NLT), where he said…
By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.

There’s also the exhortation from the Apostle Paul in Colossians 3:17 (ERV)…
Everything you say and everything you do should be done for Jesus your Lord. And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus.

Perhaps the verse that best tells us how to live life to the fullest is Romans 12:1 (ERV), which urges…
So I beg you, brothers and sisters, because of the great mercy God has shown us, offer your lives as a living sacrifice to him—an offering that is only for God and pleasing to him. Considering what he has done, it is only right that you should worship him in this way.

Living a life that pleases God is living life to the fullest.

So how do we do that? Joshua 1:8 (NLT) offers us guidance. It says…
Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.

And Psalms 119:11 (NLT) offers additional wisdom…
I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

But the advice that I personally rely on the most is in these two verses in Galatians 5…
So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.

• Galatians 5:16 NLT

And nine verses later…
Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.

• Galatians 5:25 NLT

You see we have the Holy Spirit to lead us to live the fullest life for God, if we allow Him too.

This brings us to the final thought for today, which is a pivotal question based on today’s verse. Most, if not all, of us acknowledge Jesus Christ as our Savior, but is He our Lord? Meaning does He have Sovereign reign and say over our lives? And is He the Cornerstone that our lives are built around? Ephesians 2:20 (NLT) tells believers…
Together, we are His house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.

Is Christ Jesus your cornerstone? Today’s verse says your living answer will be tested. It specifically says “The fire will show if a person’s work has any value.” Then it continues with…

• If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward.
• But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.

I find it fascinating that we are called the builder, which aligns with our free will. We choose how we will live our lives. The question is, who’s the architect whose blueprint we’re following? And who’s the general contractor overseeing our building project? Our answers will determine whether we experience a reward or regret when our life project is complete.

Rewards or regrets will be the natural consequences of our spiritually rational or irrational life decisions. Knowing that, I encourage you to consider every decision in your life carefully and choose wisely. Or course make sure it’s according God’s wisdom.

Today’s song is…
Build My Life
https://youtu.be/ovihlo_fX80?si=c0M_4shBstirSj8L

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)