The Law of Unintended Consequences

The Lord Jesus asked the question in Luke 14:28-30 "For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish."  When I first turned to God, there was a development of a large apartment building in Tacoma. It was somewhere in the mid-stage of construction when worked came to a stop because the builder ran out of money.  I remember thinking of the passage of scripture just quoted and the importance of counting the cost. Sometimes we too tend to make decisions in life without truly counting the cost. We all must make choices in our daily walk, but do we take into account the costs of our choices? Sometimes we suffer the unintended consequences of what seemed at the time good choices but ended with bad outcomes. 


The Bible says in Psalm 33:4, "For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth." I have loved the chorus we used to sing in church, "The Word of God is right, Hallelujah to the Lamb." The very first thing the Lord Jesus said to me that day after I turned to Him was "read my Word and start in Matthew." I had never read the Word of God before that time but I believe that God wanted me to know what He thinks about things. From that time to this I have wanted the Lord Jesus to guide my life by what His word says. (You can read the story of my conversion at www.thepentecostalpreacher.net)   


There are consequences to the choices we make. Sometime they are not expected or welcome.The Bible says in Psalm 16:25, "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." No one in their right mind would purposely put their hand in an open flame. The consequences of being burnt would be too painful. So is the way of our life choices. We would never do something purposefully that would jeopardize our hope of salvation. Yet when the choices we make are contrary to the Word of God, they may seem right at the time but oh, the unintended consequences. The Bible says in James 1:14-15 that "...every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." I would encourage you, whoever you are that reads this, to take into account what God says in His word about the choices you make in life. He will never direct you wrong. And you will never be sorry.