Roy T. Bennett, the author of “The Light In The Heart,” once remarked: "Every choice comes with a consequence. Once you make a choice, you must accept responsibility. You cannot escape the consequences of your choices, whether you like them or not." Galatians 6:7-8 reminds us: “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”
Undesirable consequences are a factor of life that many wish to avoid. They are considered to be adverse outcomes from particular situations. They are sometimes deemed as admonishment repercussions imposed by another for errors in life through actions, deeds, or voice. Or, a negative self-evaluation of one’s choices. It can also be imposed from the detrimental social or psychological impacts that affect the quality of life in general.
One of the principal causes of undesirable consequences is often considered to be disobedience. Deuteronomy 28:1-24 reminds us: “And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.
“The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. The Lord will command the blessing on you in your barns and in all that you undertake. And he will bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. The Lord will establish you as a people holy to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in his ways. And all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you. And the Lord will make you abound in prosperity, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your livestock and in the fruit of your ground, within the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. The Lord will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands.
And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, being careful to do them, and if you do not turn aside from any of the words that I command you today, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
“But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you. Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the field. Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Cursed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out.
“The Lord will send on you curses, confusion, and frustration in all that you undertake to do, until you are destroyed and perish quickly on account of the evil of your deeds, because you have forsaken me. The Lord will make the pestilence stick to you until he has consumed you off the land that you are entering to take possession of it. The Lord will strike you with wasting disease and with fever, inflammation and fiery heat, and with drought and with blight and with mildew. They shall pursue you until you perish. And the heavens over your head shall be bronze, and the earth under you shall be iron. The Lord will make the rain of your land powder. From heaven dust shall come down on you until you are destroyed.”
For some, bad choices are consistently prevalent and may unfortunately create a lasting personal stigma. One becomes famed for what one has done, whether that be in good or bad interest. No matter how repentant a person may feel for an error committed, judgments are often quickly formed by fellow man. These may speedily be apprised to others in the general interest. A negative characterization is formed whether it be warranted or false. The subsequent guilt imposed may cause self-effacement to linger and source a withdrawal into one’s shell. Germaine Greer, a female Australian writer once remarked: “Guilt is one side of a nasty triangle; the other two are shame and stigma. This grim coalition combines to inculpate women themselves of the crimes committed against them.”
Mankind may say that earthly punishment or correction is the penalty incurred for misconduct. Some might advise: “If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.” However, life is not that simple. Circumstances may dictate actions. If one is in need of food to survive, should they be penalized for taking a few morsels of food that is not rightfully theirs? Proverbs 6:30-31 reminds us: “People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry, but if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold; he will give all the goods of his house.” It is true that jurisprudence needs to exist to maintain order, it is a requirement and necessity of life, but only God has the final say on the day of judgment. Matthew 12:36-37 confirms: “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
John 8:1-7 tells the story of a woman who is brought to Jesus for judgment. It reminds us: “But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”
No matter how pure in heart and righteous one may hope to be, it is a fact of life that the probability of a misdemeanor or sin, even on a minor scale, may occur at least once during a lifetime. We are human, and humans are susceptible to doing wrong. Personal guilt and its ramifications can be beneficial in small doses as it helps people to learn from their mistakes and correct their ways. Repentance to God and seeking forgiveness is another more common and beneficial form to wipe the slate clean and start again.
We need to listen and heed God’s advice, however it is given to us. Exodus 22:1-4 reminds us: “If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he shall repay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. If a thief is found breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him, but if the sun has risen on him, there shall be bloodguilt for him. He shall surely pay. If he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. If the stolen beast is found alive in his possession, whether it is an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he shall pay double.”
Amen.
