Has there ever been a time in your life when you have done something without first thinking about the consequences for yourself or for others?
Can you think of a time when your actions have had negative or positive consequences? How did that make you feel? What did you learn from the experience?
A hard but valuable lesson to learn is that every choice we make has consequences. You see, many of us tend to forget that fact – when we are making decisions.
Oftentimes, we do not want to be responsible for the choices we make, and we often do not want to admit that our decisions have real life consequences. However, try as we might, we cannot escape the consequences of our decisions, whether good or bad.
It behooves us to remember that everything we think, say, and do has consequences for ourselves and for others. Like ripples on a pond, our actions spread out and affect others because everything is interconnected.
Hence, we need to be cognisant, at all times, that our actions are irreversible. Feeling our inter-connectedness, therefore, should make us sensitive to how our actions affect others.
Bearing this in mind, then should cause us to seriously consider our actions more carefully and cease being merely reactive to situations.
Whenever we are making decisions either for ourselves, or for our people, we should take time out and ask ourselves these questions: “How will this decision affect me and those around me?” “Am I doing it for my pleasure and convenience only?” “Am I treating others as just a means to an end for myself?” “Will the ripple effect be good or bad?”
You see, you can choose your actions, or you can choose your consequences, but you cannot choose both. We need to be responsible in our decision-making and we need to be accountable for our actions.
If we cannot accept the consequences of our actions, we should not make them! Nobody really gets away with anything, even if it seems that way. Every action has consequences – if not now, in the future. Therefore, we should always think through the consequences of a decision before we act. This goes not only for actions, but for words spoken as well.
There are many stories in the Bible that encourage us to consider the consequences of our actions and let them influence our decision-making. Jesus too warned the people to carefully weigh the consequences of their decisions.
In Amos 7 and 8, God showed Amos four visions representing God’s judgment on their actions: a) locusts (Amos 7:1); b) fire (Amos 7:4); c) a plumbline (Amos 7:7) and d) a basket of ripe fruit (Amos 8:1).
You see, the people and the leaders did not like that message. Because the people stopped listening, God stopped speaking. They were not following God, did not have His heart for the poor and oppressed, and were self-seeking and proud. Their actions would bring the consequence of judgment. Their way of life would be destroyed (Amos 7:9, 8:3, 8:9-12). Just as actions have consequences however – consequences on the other hand can lead to action.
The figure of Amos praying for the people, and acting as their advocate, is the role that Jesus plays for us and a role that we can play for those around us. Our actions can bring judgement and hardships, or they can bring relief, happiness, and blessings.
Remember: All actions have consequences. We will reap the consequences for our actions. The consequences will be for our betterment or will work to destroy us. So we must always think before we act.
About the Author: Mrs. Marilyn Hodge owns and operates the Wellness Centre in the Farrington, Anguilla. The Centre offers Counselling Services by Appointment Only and has now published Positive Living Volume 3. Contact information: 476-3517 or email: marilynb@anguillanet.com. www.facebook.com/axawellnesscentre
