Weighing Scale

In this day and age, there are many kinds of weighing scales being used for various purposes. Some are used to measure density.  Some are used to measure solid while others are used for liquid.
Weighing scales are also called many names depending on its function or usage. The strain gauge scale is mostly used in the kitchen, while the commonly seen retail scale makes sure that the weight you are buying is appropriate to the price you are paying.

But for me, the weighing scale I like best and always use is the old-fashion balancing scale.

No, I don't use it to weigh myself because it would take a truck to balance it with my weight.  Nor do I use it to measure food: solid or liquid.

The thing I weigh most using this kind of scale are the decisions I make in life.  With so many factors to consider in making just one decision, I need to carefully "balance" and "weigh" the pros and cons before deciding.   This is where my favorite old-fashioned scale comes in.

In my previous blog, I mentioned that everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial.  This is true in making decisions because not all options are in black and white.  Often times these come in shades of gray.

Like spending for instance.  With the Christmas season just around the corner, I really enjoy giving gifts to others.  However I need to ask myself, "Can I really afford giving gifts to all the people I know?  Do I have the financial back up to spend?"   On one side of the balancing scale, I'll maybe put "no gift" and on the other side of the scale I'll probably put "will she get hurt"?  If my friend's or acquaintance's need for affirmation weighs heavier than not giving her a gift, then I'd include her in my budget.  I praise God that most of my friends are  not sensitive and they know I love them with or without a gift. :)

Again 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 says...
²³ “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive. ²⁴ Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.

As I lead a small group of girls, I also share to them the same principle when it comes to making decisions.   I ask them to make a mental list of the pros and cons of any decision that's in the "shades of gray" category.  I ask them to look deep into their true motives before proceeding with any decision.  Like who benefits more when you do or don't do this?

I realize that having a gauge is important because it made me realize I can be selfish and busy with things that are really about myself and not for others.  Especially with areas that are considered shades of gray, I realize that some of my decisions seek my own good, but not the good of others.  I hope the balancing scale works for you as it does for me, too when it comes to making decisions especially in the gray areas of life.