Standing Strong by Charles F. Stanley

Author:Charles F. Stanley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Howard Books

A KEY TO DECISION MAKING: REAPING WHAT WE SOW

Understanding that what we plant has lasting consequences is a key to our decision-making process. We realize that in order to be wise, we must always look beyond our immediate choices to the consequences that will follow. Many people fail to consider the long-term effects of how they live. But as followers of Jesus, we know that every action has an impact for good or evil in an eternal sense. Our choices determine the quality and influence not only of our lives but can also affect the lives of those around us and who come after us forever.

The classic example of this is Abraham. We know that at the age of seventy-five, God promised to make him the father of a great nation (Gen. 12:1–4). However, after about ten years of waiting for the Lord to provide them with a child, he and Sarah grew weary. I’m sure that the burden of their enduring childlessness had to weigh on them greatly. Day after day, they must have wondered what was wrong: Why wasn’t God providing for them? Eventually, it appears that Sarah came to the conclusion that she was the one hindering the promise from coming to fruition. So she came up with a plan utilizing a strategy that was a common practice in their culture. Abraham would conceive a child with her Egyptian servant Hagar. What could possibly go wrong?

Of course, we know that a great deal of trouble resulted from that decision. A baby named Ishmael was born, and his offspring eventually became some of the Arab nations (Gen. 25:18) that have been a source of tremendous conflict for Abraham’s rightful heir, Isaac, and his descendants, the people of Israel. In other words, Abraham’s disobedience is still impacting the world today with all the conflict in the Middle East. His actions are bearing consequences for his people more than four thousand years after he lived. He certainly reaped a lot more than he sowed.

The point is that in the choices we make, our instinct is to follow the world or our own wisdom, which is disobedience. But we are not going to like the result. As we saw earlier from Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25, “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” What we reap from disobedience is sin, strife, corruption, and destruction.

But when we follow God, agree with His ways, and obey Him, we will reap amazing blessings:

• Intimacy with Him—our Creator and the Lord of the universe, with all the rights and privileges of a relationship with Him

• A productive life full of purpose and significance

• The fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control

• A lasting, positive impact on those around us

• Eternal assurance and rewards

I happen to believe the choice is clear because obedience to God always brings blessings.

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