If someone tells you not to touch a hot stove but you do it anyway and get burned, what do you think about the pain that results? Or if someone warns you not to jump off a ledge that is ten feet high, and you do it anyway and break your ankle, should that be considered a surprising result? Certainly, the pain of burn or a broken bone is sharp and real, and some might think that the result is unfair or too extreme given the perceived insignificance of the infraction, but does that have any bearing on reality? After all, hot stoves can and do cause burns, and gravity can and does accelerate bodies towards earth at a predictable rate, so the outcome has nothing to do with anyone’s intent or perception of fairness. The results of these ill-advised actions are both knowable and entirely devoid of prejudice, reflecting the workings of natural laws.
When we experience painful outcomes that are not what we desire, it is easy to point fingers at the perceived unfairness of the situation. We didn’t mean to burn ourselves, or to break our ankles, and it can take days to recover from a burn or weeks for a broken bone to heal. It is easy for our minds to reach the conclusion that the punishment didn’t fit the crime, so to speak. But therein lies our problem, for what we perceive as punishment for our actions is not punishment at all. Rather, it is the natural consequence of an action, and we were foolish to believe that the laws of nature didn’t apply to us.
The same thing happens when we ignore the laws of God. As the One who created us, He designed us to function best under certain operating parameters, starting with the Ten Commandments. We see that with the phrasing of the fifth commandment, where we are told to honor our father and mother “so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” (Ex 20:12) Our understanding should be that if there is a positive outcome associated with keeping that commandment, then there should be the likelihood of a negative outcome should we fail to obey it. Frankly, one does not have to look too deeply into the breakdown of the nuclear family and the disrespect and discord that it breeds within the children for their parents, to see the devastating impact that it has within broader communities. The pain that is caused on individuals and society at large is not punishment, but rather the natural consequence for disobeying God’s laws and behaving as if they don’t apply to us.
My friends, we are indeed a stubborn and stiff—necked people who seem intent on doing things however we see fit. In this nation, so long as that doesn’t break man’s laws, we are free to do that. However, that doesn’t eliminate God’s laws or free us from its consequences. All it does is obscure God’s laws, making it far more likely that we will experience trials and tribulations that were entirely predictable. But the good news is that if the undesirable results that we are experiencing are simply the consequences of our actions, then we should be able to gradually alleviate the pain by modifying our behavior. If we stop doing the things that lead to misery, and start living the way that we were designed to live, then we should expect a better outcome.
Stop looking at circumstances in your life as being unfair, and instead consider if they might be the consequences of actions that you never should have taken. If so, I suggest you try living your life according to the original plan, God’s ten simple rules for living a good life, and see if things start to turn around.
Peace and blessings – Pastor Aaron