But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all. (I Corinthians 12:31)

Accept the Challenge of Choosing What Matters Most

Posted on by Michele Morin

If the statisticians are correct, and American adults really do get to make over 35 thousand choices every single day, I should be much better at choosing than I am. Maybe you feel this way as well, for rarely are our decisions simple and uncluttered. Like author and speaker Lucinda Secrest McDowell, we often find that we are struggling between two equally good things. Therefore, it’s not a matter of which is the “right” answer, but rather, the challenge is “to distinguish what matters most.” (1)

Life-Giving Choices: 60 Days to What Matters Most is McDowell’s collaboration with the Apostle Paul in challenging believers to seek “a way of life that is best of all.” In her 60-day devotional, she provides a grace-soaked check list of suggestions.
When you’re making a choice, in all your choosing:
Choose hope!
Choose healing!
Choose authenticity!

Some of her exhortations will come with a price:
Choose silence!
Choose risk!
Choose to listen!

And there are choices that will change the lives of others, even as our own hearts are molded:
Choose to encourage!
Choose blessing!
Choose connection!

Simple and Soulful

In addition to delightful anecdotes from the lives of the “Greats” (including C.S. Lewis, Fred Rogers, and Elisabeth Elliot to name a few), Lucinda writes from the deep well of having practiced what she preaches. Her stories illustrate that some of our most important choices may come when we are hanging out with a three-year-old, or when we are sharing lunch with a friend, or when we have taken on the herculean feat of cleaning out our overstuffed closet. Sixty days of simple yet soulful meditations on life-giving choices clears away the clutter of indecision or purposeless drifting.

Tell me:
Will you accept the challenge to bring the big picture question “What Matters Most?” to the choices you are facing today?

Many thanks to New Hope Publishers for providing a copy of this book to facilitate my review, which, of course, is offered freely and with honesty.

Going forward in grace,

Michele Morin

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees. If you should decide to purchase Life-Giving Choices: 60 Days to What Matters Most, simply click on the title within the text, and you’ll be taken directly to Amazon. If you decide to buy, I’ll make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Photo by Anthony Ievlev on Unsplash

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Published by Michele Morin

Michele Morin is a Bible teacher, writer, reader, and gardener committed to the truth that women can become confident Christ-followers and students of God's Word. She has been married to an unreasonably patient husband for thirty-plus years, and together they have four sons, four daughters-in-love, and six adorable grandchildren. Michele loves hot tea and well-crafted sentences, poems that stop her in her tracks, and days at the ocean with the whole family. She laments biblical illiteracy and advocates for the prudent use of “little minutes.” She blogs at Living Our Days, and you can connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

37 thoughts on “Accept the Challenge of Choosing What Matters Most”

  1. Lucinda is a friend and she lives out what she writes. She is relentless at encouraging people to come to the truth of God, and her latest book is no exception!
    (If you’re ever looking for a writing retreat, check out reNEW. She and Rachel Britton run it every fall in Connecticut. Such a powerful, spiritual time for writers and speakers!)

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    1. The reNEW retreat has been on my calendar for the past two years, but I haven’t been able to slither away from life here in Maine. I do confess to a tad bit of jealousy over the party goin’ on among you guys in Southern New England. I’m about four hours into Maine, but one of these days, I’m going to make the trip!

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  3. Good morning, Michele! I love the emphasis on ‘choosing’ in these devotionals. Way too often it’s easy to feel like we’re held hostage by our circumstances and the enemy whispers how powerless we are.

    ‘What matters most?’ is a phenomenal question to start our days with. We’d be so much better focused, our hearts free-er, our souls more enlivened.

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    1. This takes the emphasis of the black and white, gotta get this right mentality that I carry into my choices. God is more concerned about big picture motives and I hope all the reading I’ve been doing lately about listening to God and making life-giving choices is going to show up in my sneakers-on-the-grass daily living.

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  5. One of the best things about walking the Camino was not having to choose what to do on any given day. We knew what we were going to do – we were going to walk. Eliminating the need to choose was freeing. I am in the market for a new devotional. this one sounds like it may be the one for me. Thank you for the recommendation, Michele!

    Liked by 1 person

  6. It’s funny that it was mentioned in our choosing to think about what matters most. Lately, I’ve been challenged to write a personal missions statement in order to help me see what choices are best for me.

    I love the idea that Lucinda includes stories in her book. I love learning things about people so this seems very interesting to me.

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  7. Isn’t that what life is all about, Michele—the challenges of choosing what matters the most? Some times things are good, but still not the best choice. Thanks for the book recommendation. Fred Rogers <— there's someone with a lot of wisdom about life!

    Thanks for linking up at InstaEncouragements!

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  10. I have not read any of her books, but I enjoy her regular columns at thewriteconversation.com. That’s so true: most choices aren’t between good and bad, but better and best. And I can get so frustrated when someone interrupts something with what seems like a inane conversation, yet relationships are often made up of such. Giving that person my full attention is more important than whatever else I was doing…I keep telling myself. 🙂

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  11. Choosing the best can be difficult, for sure! I really like the key words she connects to choose: hope, healing, authenticity, silence, risk, to listen, encourage, connect, and blessing. These words really give direction and help in choices. I haven’t read anything by this author, but this sounds like one that would be very helpful. Deciding between two good choices is often a cause for procrastination because it just seems too hard and I want both. Thanks so much for sharing!

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  12. This sounds like a wonderful devotional. It is so true that most of our choices are not based on what is right but what matters most. May all of my choices be soaked in His grace and bring Him glory. Going to check out this one.

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    1. Sometimes I find devotionals to be really hard to review, but this one could be read day by day, or a reader could sit down and read cover to cover. I found it to be so wise and engaging.

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  13. I love that question!! What matters most? On a day when I have “a million” things to do, I need to remember this question. What matters most–relationship with those closest to me and keeping my soul still enough to hear the Lord, especially since the to-do’s on my list must be done today.

    This sounds like a great devotional, Michele.

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  14. Michele, I had no idea we make that many choices each day! Wow! This book by Lucinda sounds wonderful. I often hear and use the term “what matters most.” But through your review, you’ve given it deeper understanding and feet in the how-to. Thank you!

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  15. Thinking about making that many choices makes me crazy. I get decision fatigue when I have to make too many conscious choices in a day. These choices seem like no-brainers tho! Hope, healing, listening,… Thanks, Michele.

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  18. Michele once again another book that looks fabulous. I have saved it to find again later. I wish my stack of books wasn’t so large or I would start right now reading it. Thank you for sharing with Grace & Truth Link-Up. Maree

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  20. Thank you very much for this insightful and educational post! I recently published an article on my blog about how indecision has grown throughout the last decade and how we can grow from it. If you have time, I would be really interested to hear your thoughts on my article! Thanks 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

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