Can you cheat the reality of consequences?

 

If she stole her bike back is it really even stealing?

 

Sometimes we forget…you cannot fool God -- Full message

 

Intentionally stirring up trouble for others

 

Today is the future you were thinking about 10 years ago

Making The Important Connections Between What We've Sown And What We Reap

I’ve been working with people who have difficulties, problems, struggles and hurts for over 22 years, as a pastor.

I’ve noticed that occasionally there will be people who tend to have problems and troubles over and over again. It is possible this is not their fault. It may be they are truly victims in some way or another. It is not my intention to pile on those who have already had plenty of difficulty and struggle. I recognize that for some people, the troubles may involve issues which are genuinely beyond their control and unrelated to their own actions.

But I have also noticed in some cases there are people who see no correspondence between their constant troubles and their own attitudes, actions and choices. They only see themselves as victims and they see all the troubles as issues that are initiated outside of themselves.

“Someone else has done this to me,” they say. Every time.

“The circumstances of life are stacked against me. Poor me,” they say. Every time.

These are the people who cannot seem to understand why their problems and difficulties are never-ending. And they are unable to see their role in what is happening.

This passage of scripture could be of great value to them if they would be willing to open their eyes to the truth it conveys: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” Galatians 6:7

I do not write this to tear anyone down. Actually, I write this to express an unavoidable and very important reality of life. I write this as a caution and reminder to myself. I write this in love and out of a desire to offer helpful truth to those who are willing to recognize the truth.

Fighting Against Reality Is Futile

We send the message in a number of subtle and not-so-subtle ways in our culture that it is possible to live in immature and irresponsible ways and, yet, avoid negative consequences. This is not good, it is not compassionate (though it often pretends to be) and it is not helpful.

It does not matter if we dress up immature and irresponsible behavior in academic jargon or fancy-sounding cultural buzz-words because the behavior will ultimately bump up against reality.

This is a certainty which I encourage you to believe: Whenever a person tries to “pull-one-over” on reality the person, ultimately, pays a difficult price.

Likewise, whenever a culture tries to “pull-one-over” on reality the culture, ultimately, pays a difficult price.

“For we are each responsible for our own conduct.”  Galatians 6:5

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”  Galatians 6:7

Elaborating On Actions And Their Consequences

My friend, Annette, asked me to elaborate on a phrase—“Consequence-Free Living”—that I used in my blog post from earlier today. With her permission, I’m providing my response:

Our actions and even our thoughts have consequences. In other words there are certain results that follow from doing things, saying things, thinking things.

Doing morally wrong things will, ultimately, result in negative consequences.
Doing morally right things will, ultimately, result in positive consequences.

If we are morally confused—believing things which are right to be wrong, or believing things which are wrong to be right—then our actions and thoughts will often tend to be wrong. After all, we have told ourselves (lied to ourselves) that what is actually wrong is the right thing to do.

If we are doing wrong things—because we have convinced ourselves that wrong is right—then the results (consequences) of those actions will tend to be negative. 

In the long run, morally wrong actions will have negative consequences. Why? Because it is wrong, whether we admit that truth to ourselves, or not.

Here is part of the Bible verse that I referenced in the original post: “What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark…” Isaiah 5:20.

Part of the self-deception that comes with moral confusion is this kind of erroneous thinking: “I can do things and they won’t matter.” (My actions won’t have consequences.) This is why I said in the original post: “There is no such thing as consequence-free living.” In other words, we are deceiving ourselves in a dangerous way if we believe that we can continue to do things that are wrong and escape the consequences.

We might persist in doing wrong things and appear to be “getting away with it” in the short term. But in the long term, it will catch up with us.

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” Galatians 6:7

What Are You Sowing?

No one, in the history of the world, has ever planted apple seeds and had a banana tree sprout up out of those seeds.  As the Bible tells us, “You will always harvest what you plant.” This is a very helpful truth to keep in mind because we are sowing seeds as we live life, with every action we take and every conversation we have.

You Reap What You Sow -- Video

You Reap What You Sow... That Explains A Lot

The idea that we reap what we sow is an absolutely reliable truth that actually explains so much of what happens in our lives.  Some people, unfortunately, have trouble seeing the connection between reaping and sowing. Wise people see it and it informs their decisions and behaviors. “Do not be deceived; God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows.” Galatians 6:7

Audio Message: Does God Really Send People To Hell?

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