I So Hate Consequences

The greatest trick the devil ever pulled, was convincing the world he didn't exist.

Our inability to see past our immediate circumstances, leads us to act as if the future holds no consequences. We make decisions that in the moment feel as if they are harming no one, or, at the worst, hurting only ourselves. However when the dust settles and the smoke clears from the rubble that has become our broken lives, we look back and understand that the destruction could be traced back to one small decision. Entire friendships are destroyed by one word, marriages torn apart due to one moment of weakness, relationships burn due to the fire of an anger left unchecked since childhood. In order to justify a decision, our minds, combined with our temptations, make us believe that there are no lasting ramifications for our sins, but as we learned on Sunday, that is a lie.

It may not be a direct effect from one decision, but a habit which began because of one decision. Most addicts will explain to you that they never intended to destroy their marriages, lose their jobs, or ruin their lives, when they found their vice. Some of us believe that the things that we struggle with now will be nothing more than memories when we're older; yet, the things most adults struggle with can be traced back to decisions or habits in their past.

If you don't believe that your inability to predict the consequences of your actions is a vital part of your sin problem, trace back the history of every deep regret you have. In the moment that you made that decision, were you planning on causing immense emotional and spiritual problems for yourself? Of course not. No one wants to harm themselves, but because of the evil nature of our hearts, we strive to find ways to justify our sin. Just like Adam and Eve, we want to play God, and rebel against our Creator, in order to satisfy our temptations. They believed that God was just trying to keep them under His thumb; however, we know God was trying to protect us. God's Word is clear on how we should live our lives, but we choose to believe that we know what is best for us instead. If you continue making decisions based on your own understanding or reasoning, you will find yourself faced with heartbreak, again and again. Choose to lean on the understanding of the Creator of the universe, it's possible He knows a thing or two about life.

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Pray
For the strength to say no to your temptations, and to lean on your Heavenly Father's understanding, instead of your own.