Result Of Your Actions
Everything happens for a reason. But sometimes the reason is you’re stupid and you make bad decisions
Reference: “Does a bird swoop down to a trap on the ground when no bait is there? Does a trap spring up from the ground if it has not caught anything?” Amos 3:5 NIV
Explore: Starting a new job at a new church there are a few hundred new people I have had to meet. To begin with you can only scratch the surface of who they are and where they come from.
After a while you get to know them better. It’s then that some of the things they say, and some of the things they do, make more sense.
I will often wonder at a comment made by one person only to discover they have recently lost a loved one, so clearly they are still very emotional about family. Another person might speak scathingly of a certain program and I later discover they have had a falling out with another member.
So often I judge people for what they do and say when really they are just speaking and acting out of their experience.
Application: We are the same when it comes to God. We react to Him and speak about Him according to our experience of church and our experience of God.
God often responds in the same way. He acknowledges our heart and our experience and connects with us in that way.
In Amos, the prophet explains that reactions come from a previous action. I saw a social media post that jokingly said: “Everything happens for a reason. But sometimes the reason is you’re stupid and you make bad decisions.”
Sometimes we need to stop and think about why something has happened rather than instantly blame God for doing something we, in fact, have already initiated.
Prayer: Lord, it’s often easier to point the finger at others than take the time to analyse our own behaviour. Give us wisdom and discernment to know the result of our actions. Amen.
What is currently happening in your life due to your previous actions?
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.