During World War II, a man named Viktor Frankl was one of millions confined to a German concentration camp.  He recounted that one of the images most vividly etched in his mind from his time spent there was of a few men who would move from hut to hut comforting others and, at times, even giving away their last pieces of allotted bread.  From these inspirational men, Frankl said he learned this: you can take everything from a person, but one freedom remains – the freedom to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.

We cannot always choose our circumstances, but we can always choose our reaction to life’s circumstances.  Even if we didn’t choose an alcoholic father, a complacent husband, an abusive childhood, a physical impediment, a difficult boss – you can choose how much you will let it affect the rest of your life.  It is the power of choice; the power to make right decisions, even when the wrong decisions of others have disappointed and hurt you.

The fact is, you are where you are and who you are because of the sum total of all the decisions you have made!  Some of you may be thinking, “I don’t like where I am or who I am”, but the good news is we can go someplace different and be someone better by the decisions we make from this point forward.  Your attitude will navigate you to a positive place or a negative one, depending on whether you choose to be better or bitter.

Everyone’s world will be shaken, and if you are attached to the world, you will be shaken as well.  I am grateful to have made the choice to attach myself and my attitude to something other than my life and my world.  There’s an old hymn we sang in the church in which I grew up that proclaims, “I have decided to follow Jesus”.  That was my choice.  Plain and simple: Jesus works.  I am no longer attached to my shaken world, but instead am attached to His solid rock.  And it’s the best decision I have ever made.