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Final Outcome

Outcomes hinge on choices. Sometimes one big decision will effect a life-changing outcome, but more often, the cumulative effect of many seemingly insignificant decisions shapes the course of our life.

Recently, I’ve been following a particularly sad situation which occurred in a community nearby. A teenage boy had been engaging in an activity which caused concern to his parents. In this case, it involved the obsessive playing of video games.

The parents intervened with words of admonition. He didn’t change the pattern of his behaviour. They intervened with actions - short-term prohibitions. He endured the hours of deprivation, but did not choose to respond to their concerns. Finally, they took definitive action and removed the equipment which facilitated his obsessive behaviour. He responded to this by running away from home. At this point, few details are available, but his body was found by hunters.

I raise this story to show that, in spite of his parents' good intentions, their warnings and their discipline, the son was unwilling to respond positively and, following his own inclinations, ended up losing everything - even his own life.

Many people have a warped concept of God’s intentions for them. They think that God is attempting to limit the fullness of their life experience. Subscribing to the logic that if their behaviour isn’t hurting anyone else it should be acceptable to God, they miss the fact that their behaviour is hurting themselves.

The Bible makes it clear that “God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us...” (1 Thes. 5:9-10a ESV) Consequently, He uses words to warn us when our behaviour leads us in the wrong direction. He allows negative circumstances which come as the result of our destructive behaviour to get our attention so that we’ll notice that something’s amiss.

Sadly, many choose to ignore the signs. They are so intent on experiencing short-term pleasure, they entirely miss the eternal delight God intends for them to enjoy with Him.

When it comes to our final outcome, there’s a world of difference between the salvation and life which God intends for us and the destruction and death we choose, albeit unintentionally, for ourselves.

Ron Hughes
© November 2008