Consequences

James 1:5 (ESV)

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

Educators, researchers, writers, and others are often united by a common love of history. As a part of this group, many like to play a game called, “Alternative History.” Entire books have been written exploring such questions such as, “What if the British had won the Revolutionary War?” or “What if the Japanese had been repelled at Pearl Harbor?” One of my favorites: “What if the security guard had not noticed the tape left on a door by the Watergate burglars?” When playing this game, we can easily see how one seemingly small event can domino into hundreds of subsequent events, eventually changing the course of human history dramatically.

Think of the consequences of some of the Biblical events. What would have been the consequences if Abraham had trusted God, not fathered Ishmael through his maid, and Isaac had been his true first-born? Would the Islamic faith have ever existed? What would be the current political situation in the Middle East? Would 9/11 have occurred?

Perhaps we can look to Harry Truman for the answer to some of these questions. When he was asked, “What if the South had won the Civil War?” He curtly replied, “They didn’t!” Still, it is interesting to ponder the long-term consequences of man’s poor use of his free will. It makes you pause and reflect on the long-term effects of your own day-to-day decisions, doesn’t it? We need to make sure we make wise decisions each and evry day.

Dear Lord, we pray that we would make wise decision. Help us to take each circumstance and think through what our choices will do for our future. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.