20 Years Later

“Great opportunities may come once in a lifetime, but small opportunities surround us every day.”                                                                                  -Rick Warren

When I was in college I was faced with some difficult decisions. I was on the fence between living for God and living the “typical” college experience. I had to choose whether I would follow my old friends or whether I would be willing to walk away from them and pursue God.

I remember telling one of my professors my predicament. He said, “Bubba, choose to do the right thing. I think if you could see the difference between where your friends will be and where you’ll be in ten years if you make the right choice, it wouldn’t be much of a choice.”

I chose to follow after God. It didn’t make much of a difference in a week, a month, or even a year. Now, years later, I have old friends coming up to me, patting me on the back, and telling me they’re proud of me and affirming that I made the right choice. The best part is I’m in a position to help them live an awesome life now!

The tough decisions you have to make now don’t always pay off in the short term. In fact, you usually pay a price for making the right choice in the short term. You’ll get ridiculed, rejected, and criticized. I know I did. However, if you’ll press through all of that, years later, you’ll be praised, congratulated, and patted on the back for making the right choice, many years ago.

Choose to do what’s right, no matter what. It always pays off, even if it’s 20 years later.