Actions and Consequences

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Galatians 6 : 7-8 

 Life is a basic responsibility structure. We sometimes ascribe a basic irrationality to life by thinking that what we do does not have consequences. We do one thing and sonehow and hope that something else will result. It is like planting a coconut and hoping for mangoes.

Interestingly, we tend not to have these expectations when we are doing good deeds. From good deeds we expect good results. It is when we do wrong that we hope things will not turn out too badly. And it is in this that we demonstrate our irrationality, for the law of life is none other than this: Whatever we sow,we shall reap. If we sow discord, then discord will be the result. It will hurt others and ourselves.

We need to assume responsibility for our thoughts and actions. Only then can we receive God's forgiveness and the forgiveness of those we have wronged. God can and does redeem our situations but what we cannot do is to excuse our wrongdoing.

Our hope is that somehow things will turn out for the better is unrealistics. They will not. Negative and harmful things we have done will not just go away.They remain working as leaven in our lives and those we influence. We need to face up to what we've done. We also need to evaluate our actions and motives. Above all, wee need to be big enough to acknowledge our faults and failures.

Living responsibly is the affirmative side of the law of sowing and reaping. We can purposefully plan to do that which is right and good.In planting good seed, we affect positively the person we are becoming. We can in faith expect a good harvest.

  

Credits: Charles Ringma