Unintended Consequences
We all suffer the effects of unintended consequences. I was reminded of this all week. I made the (crazy) decision to let my four year old stay up super late one night. I was being selfish, actually, because I wanted to finish writing my column and didn’t want to stop to put her to bed. So I told her it was summer and she could have a fun night. What harm could come of that?
As it turns out, quite a bit! She has been up late each night since, whether I put her to bed or not. She’s figured mommy out and is putting it to her own use. So each and every night my unintended consequence is getting to battle with a four year old over bedtime.
We have unintended consequences in our daily walk with God, as well. What may seem harmless can actually cause problems in ways we may not even see. For instance, it isn’t always easy to take time to spend in the word of God each day. Bible study just doesn’t seem to fit into our busy schedules. And we may not see the consequence, but it is very real. If we are not “walking in the word,” how can we discern what God wants for us? It is a gift He has given us, a gift that we can learn from, rejoice in, and be humbled by. Skip it and you run the very real risk of missing out on His message for you daily.
Here’s another example. People you are around know you attend church, they know you are a Christian. But you have a problem with foul language. You don’t “behave” as Christ would, which should be our goal. So the unintended consequence is that your personal ministry is hurt. Should you try to witness to one of your lost co-workers, the message may be lost based on your behavior.
No, we can’t be perfect, but we must be on guard against these unintended consequences.
Make sure that your actions have purpose, and that you aren’t pushing God to the back in daily life. Remember, daily life is a gift from God!
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