Cause and Effect

The difference between a fence and a guardrail was illustrated so effectively by one of our fellow bloggers in a recent post, showing a cartoon of a young man who assumed what he saw as a fence was something he could easily violate, until he jumped over it and found out the hard way it was a guardrail to keep him from going over the cliff. Great illustration and so timely!

Timely because life is crazy these days! More often we see things such as people violating the basic lines on the road for no other reason than they don’t understand the lines are not there to prevent them but to help them get where they want to go. But for someone who has not been taught the art of critical thinking, they see the lines as a violation of their right to drive however they want – and this is a representation of how they live their lives, only in concern for themselves and no one else.

Common sense aids are not a new thing, and they don’t stop with just guardrails, lines, and fences. They are ancient, as there has been an unwritten law since time began that has flashed proverbial warning signs throughout history. When ignored, the result is always the same, which is never good for the violator!

This unwritten law is what we know as cause and effect. If you stay out in the sun long enough, you will get a sunburn. If you go without water long enough, you will die of dehydration and thirst. If you eat sweets every day and never exercise, you’ll lose muscle tone and gain weight. If you hate your brother, chances are he’ll hate you back! If you keep silent in the face of evil, you yourself are committing evil.

As Christians, the first time we see this law outlined in detail is within Deuteronomy chapter 30:15-20, where the Lord sets before us both life and death, blessing and cursing, and encourages us to choose life. This passage gives us insight with understanding on how cause and effect triggers God’s laws into motion. This is important to know and understand, because so often today when something bad happens, we immediately think we are being punished by God when that simply is not the case. Either we ourselves triggered these laws, or someone we know triggered them and that had a direct impact on us as part of a result of the fallen world we live within. The good news is that this passage also tells us how we can stop death in its tracks and start cultivating life instead!

Am I saying that all suffering is a result of cause and effect? Yes, pretty much that’s exactly what I’m saying. We all, whether we are believers are not, are effected by the fall in this manner.

Do we find it easier to blame God for the suffering in this world and the pain in our lives rather than take the time to learn who He really is (not just who man says He is)? 

TRUTH: Scripture tells us that He cannot be anything else but good (evil is not found in Him – Psalm 5:4, James 1:13, 1 John 1:5).  Although Satan comes to destroy, kill, and steal, Jesus has come so that we may have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10).  He is able to take what Satan may throw our way and use it to purify our faith. It is in this gradual process of dross removal that we enter into a greater realm of worshiping God in spirit and in truth.

Stop the dominoes from falling, choose life instead – and be blessed.