Post 11: consequences
December 5, 2023
Obviously my plan to post every day didn’t go accordingly. Sigh. But, we’re back to the commitment of posting every day. The consequence of lacking discipline, proper time management, and healthy priorities is not posting every day, which subsequently makes me feel bad about myself.
Today I saw a quote that read: Sometimes when I remember what tremendous consequences come from little things…I am tempted to think…there are no little things.
Oftentimes we think of bad consequences to our actions. The term “consequences” seems to be notorious for having a negative connotation to it. We lie: we hurt people and can no longer be trusted. We push someone: we get decked in the face. We text and drive: we kill someone—looking at you, all the texters and drivers of the world.
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about positive consequences. We smile at someone: we have potential to turn their entire day around. We intentionally think positively: we have the potential to turn our day around. We spend more time with Jesus: we’re happier.
I’ve always thought about the things that “make sense” later on…whether it is days, weeks, or years later. Like…how the Covid pandemic changed the trajectory of a lot of our lives, our perspectives change based on one interaction, or how our forever love story could start at any moment—queue the song: Begin Again — Taylor Swift. It’s dawned on me recently that sometimes relationships with certain people happen for character development, not a forever partnership. And damn, is that enlightening. But now it’s up to us (me) how we use those experiences to develop our character—how malleable can we be for God to properly use us? Will our next (and often pivotal) choices have positive or negative consequences?
I think I have a lot of peace with the unknown because I have faith and trust in God’s all-knowingness. At the same time, I’m intensely aware of how each of my actions have consequences, some of them, eternal for more than just myself.
I think Christian’s often make a crutch out of “everything happens for a reason.” And I am (was?) one of them. Yes, I believe everything does happen according to God’s plan, BUT that can’t be used an as excuse for doing bad things. “Oh, that was part of my journey.” Well, yes. But, a more positive or less rash action could’ve also been a part of your journey and you wouldn’t have hurt others or yourself in your wake.
Make each choice with an eternal mindset, for you, and for others.
whyiscchappy? Honest people.