Domino Affect
Sometimes our actions are like one of these black domino tiles.
Genesis 20:1-18
Reference: v.9 Then Abimelech called Abraham in and said, "What have you done to us? How have I wronged you that you have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done." (NIV Bible)
Explore: I love to watch dominos fall. It's amazing how much entertainment a whole lot of small black tiles, standing on their ends, can give. They are incredibly fiddly and annoying to set up, but once you knock one over, all the others systematically fall, like a tiny black Mexican wave. Sometimes our actions are like one of these black domino tiles. We think we are isolated and independent yet when we move or make decisions it has a ripple affect on the people around us. Our actions do have an impact on others.
Application: When Abraham moved into a new area he told people that Sarah was his sister but left out the tiny detail that she was also his wife (Sarah was in fact Abraham's half sister). This caused all sorts of trouble each time they moved into a new land because the rulers of that area would be drawn by Sarah's beauty and take her into their homes. In chapter 20 we read of God closing the womb of everyone in Abimelech's household because he had taken someone else's wife. Abraham's half-truth had a domino effect on Sarah's life, Abimelech's life and the life of all his household. How the domino's fell! We must be conscious of the people our decisions can impact. We are not isolated islands. Our decisions can have an affect on many people. When Jesus talked about the affect we can have on other people He said that if our actions were to take someone away from God then it would be better if we had never been born. Strong words but a reminder of the impact we can have on others.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, You did many things when You walked this earth. Your actions are still having a domino affect on people centuries after You died and rose again. Help us to be conscious of the affect we are having on others. Amen.
What kind of affect are you having on the people around you?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.