It’s not stretch to see that EACH OF US are but one step from a bad decision. It’s amazing, but many of us justify a wrong and bad decision simply because we:
- Feel we’ve been wronged
- Want to get even with someone
- Choose to retaliate because we “didn’t get our way”
- Aren’t happy
- Want something “better” or “more” and we don’t care who it hurts
- (_________________________)
The reality is this: we make decisions all day long. Some will be frivolous decisions that really don’t make a huge difference, right?
- What should I wear today?
- Where will I go to lunch?
- Who will I hang out with later?
Wrong!
Our every decision makes a difference because we are always inching our way to that fine line between what (I used to tell my children) is FUN vs. FOOLISH, and RIGHT vs. WRONG. So what’s the problem you ask? The problem is we sometimes just don’t know when we cross that line. For instance:
- It doesn’t matter what we wear….unless we’re wearing it “for” someone to notice us, or if we’re calling attention to something we shouldn’t call attention to. That one decision can make or break the next choice we’ll need to make….
- It doesn’t matter where we go to lunch, unless we’re meeting with whom we shouldn’t.
- It doesn’t matter with whom we’re hanging out…but if they’re a bad vs. good influence it will certainly matter! If it’s the kid who point us to trouble, the man or woman unhappy in their marriage and looking for something new and different – looking to us to fulfill a need (emotional or otherwise), or a friend who doesn’t have the guts to call us out when we’re sinning….we might not have the right influences to help vs. hinder or hurt us.
These are all stepping over that gray line into the wrong and the foolish. We are often already heading in the wrong direction when these little decisions are made. Each decision, each step we take leads us somewhere. We don’t always think ahead to where “somewhere” is. Sometimes we think if we’ve made a wrong decision there’s no turning back, but that’s wrongful thinking, too.
Why do we do that? Why do we take these steps knowing that we’re wrong, knowing that we’re hurting others and God? Perhaps because we’re:
- Afraid we won’t be liked.
- Thinking we need to be politically correct.
- Wanting to be happy and think this will fill that void.
- Unable and don’t know how to stop.
As I see it: WE.ALL.NEED.TO.GROW.UP.
God will not be mocked. “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.” We can’t plant apples and expected oranges.
If we dress a certain way…we can expect others to treat us a certain way (play out various scenarios in your mind.)
If we meet with others we shouldn’t, we can expect that it isn’t going to turn out positively.
When we take over when God should be at the helm, steering us in the right direction, we simply can’t expect all good, warm fuzzy, happy, positive things to happen. There will be consequences. God will not be mocked.
The bible says, “Like a dog that returns to its vomit, is a fool who repeats his folly.” (Proverbs 26:11) If that somehow makes us think about the wrong decisions we’re making (and it should!) we can go to the book of Proverbs in the Bible – studying and underlining the words foolish, wicked, folly, and then follow it up with the words wisdom, counselor, and good. HOWEVER, we’ll only look up these words when we’re:
- Willing to stop mocking God.
- Serious about dealing with our sin.
- Ready to ask Him for forgiveness and make things right.
- Desiring to make restitution for our sin.
- Wanting to make relationships right again, that we ruined (or are in the process of ruining).
We can play out many scenarios in our minds as to how we got to where we are: adultery, lying, cheating, drugs, addictions, pornography, gossiping, hateful actions, murder, (fill in the blank).
No one can make us make a good decision; that’s the choice we individually have to make…and it looks like we have that opportunity right now as WE ARE ONE STEP FROM A BAD DECISION. None of us are exempt. What choice will you make?