Your First Option Isn’t Your Only Option

Learning to Slow Down

I love shopping. Who doesn’t?

You might not find me with shopping carts full in stores.

But my shopping cart online is.

That’s because I’m always looking for something.

I’ve always got a project or plan in mind.

When I was younger, I was quick to look, shop, and buy.

Almost like there was an unspoken rule programmed in my head that pushed me to spend before I stopped to think.

I’d shop like I had to get it ASAP.

👀 It’s the last one.
❌ I better get it now.

✅ When the truth is: I can wait.

👀 It’s on sale or clearance.
❌ I can’t pass up the discount.

✅ When the truth is:
A discount isn’t a deal (for me) if I don’t have extra money to spend.

Lies made me spend fast and without thought. That’s so dangerous.

And it felt good to spend… at first.

But later? Not so much.

Because I usually ended up with something I didn’t truly want, didn’t need at all, or couldn’t afford yet.

The worst part? Not having the money for things I actually needed because I’d spent it impulsively—making a decision without stopping to think about what happens next. 

Then came the trouble of making returns, when I could.

All along, something could have saved me the trouble.

This simple truth:

Your first option isn’t your only option.

Learning to Pause

That started changing how I shopped.

Instead of grabbing everything that caught my eye…

I’d linger in stores, filling my cart. Then I’d walk around on purpose — giving myself time to think through what I wanted.

The walk is where I decide what to buy and what to put back on the shelf.

Sometimes I’d walk out with everything.

Most times, a few things.

Other times, nothing.

I still do this now.

In stores, I grab a cart.

Online, I make lists or fill up my shopping bag.

Either way, it helps me slow down and think beyond the moment.

Learning to Wait

Quick to look.
Quick to shop.
Slow to buy.

Not just, do I want this?

But also thinking, what happens next?

Because I need to think about what happens after I buy something. 

That helps me realize my first option isn’t my only option.

And God has good things in store for me.

That means trusting Him enough to tell myself:

No.
Not now.
Yes, but later.

Because wanting something now doesn’t mean I need to have it now.

And sometimes, waiting is the better choice.

Prayer:

God, help me to slow down to see how what I do now affects what I can do later. God, I want you to help me make healthier choices for a better future – in Jesus’ name.

Here’s why I pray in Jesus’ name: John 14:13-14.

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