“If you don’t start behaving, we’re gonna have a talk.”
Did you ever hear those words growing up? When you did, did they strike a little fear in you? Maybe you felt that drop in your stomach because you knew your parents were no longer playing around. If you did not start listening, there would be consequences for your actions.
In a recent Bible class, it was pointed out that we may be losing our understanding that the things we do in life have consequences. In family life, there may not always be the follow-through there should be. In adulthood as well, there can be a disconnect from the seriousness of the consequences that lie ahead for the choices that we make.
Not all consequences are negative; some are positive. Yet there often seems to be a greater focus on the positive, with an almost complete forgetfulness of the negative. As Christians, we can, and should, set our minds on things above and think about the positive reward of living faithfully for God each day (Colossians 3:1–2). However, we must never forget the result of living in sin, and what lies in store for those who remain separated from God.
What we do in life matters. How we live for God matters. Not every action will be seen by others, but one thing is certain: God sees all (Proverbs 15:3). There are consequences for our choices. It is up to us to live according to God’s standards, avoiding the negative and reaping the eternal reward of faithful obedience.
Josh Schutkowski