Choosing to realze your little choices lead to consequences

A fifteen year old boy lies in a hospital bed in critical condition. His body burned and he will be fighting for his life for some time. The five teenage boys who did this to him are pleading not guilty. They made the choice to set him on fire and none of them at any point in time chose to help him. It is obvious that they made a bad choice but their lawyers are saying not guilty. I am a little confused.

A mom is about to have a nervous breakdown. They have more money going out than coming in. Her teenage daughter may be sexually active, but she cannot communicate with her. They have not had a family dinner since school started because of 4 nights a week they have football practice, plus games on Saturdays and another child has soccer three nights a week and games twice a week. She feels sick and weak and has not had a well balanced meal or exercised in several weeks. She does not understand why everything is falling apart. Everything she has done has been for her family. Is she seeing the little choices she made that has led to these consequences?

Let's do a little evaluation of your life. This is not to condemn or to judge. I want you to be able to see the choices you are making and which ones are adding to your stress. If you feel condemnation, remember it is of the devil. The Holy Spirit will convict and you have to be open to listen.

1. Are you starting every day with prayer and giving the day to God before you get out of bed?
2. Are you finding time to be read and study His word? Are you doing it on a consistent basis?
3. Do you exercise at least 3-5 times a week?
4. Are you eating healthy foods? Do you eat veggies, get your protein?
5. Do you have time as a family to pray, worship, eat, relax together?
6. Do you look forward to being home or despise it because the house is such a mess?
7. Do you sit down and eat together and communicate more than three times a week?
8. Are you (and spouse) the main spiritual leader of each other and your children? Or is it the church?
9. Do you spend more money on your kids needs or wants? Do you look for the best deal?
10. By where you spend your time and money, what is the most important priority in your life? your kids?
11. Do you pray with your spouse and/or kids? Do you ask how you can pray for them? Do they know you pray for them?
12.Is your debt because you lost a job or emergency medical expenses? Or is it because you wanted things like a bigger house, more stuff, or just wanted new things?
13. How often do you praise God?
14. How much of your stress is from these choices? Or what stress will you have because of these choices?

Over the past several weeks we have discussed what choices we should be making and how we should be answering these questions. Continuing to make the same choices is going to lead to the same consequences. You have to realize that the same little choice made over and over again has consequences.

One example is your children. If studies are correct, by the time your child is 13 years old, habits and morals are already established. It will be harder to change them. By the time they are eighteen, it is even less likely and harder to change habits and morals. So if you do not start to make choices now that will train your child spiritually, it is going to get harder. And if you think taking them to church is enough, another study says when they go to college they are more likely not to attend church. And I don't think any of us want our child to only turn to God after they hit rock bottom as an adult. Some of us have been there. You have a choice to make spiritual training in your home a priority and your choice will have long term consequences. What will you choose? (And if you are not parent a now, the minute you become one, please start from the day you bring them home by reading the Bible or a devotional to them.)

Another example is your health. If you choose to continue to put off exercise and eating right, you will face consequences. You may already be facing those consequences. Your body will eventually have health complications from the choices you are making. You cannot continue to ignore the consequences that will come form your choices.

Another example is your home. You make the simple choice not pick up at the end of the day or put that load of laundry up. It seems like no big deal. But after several days of that same choice. You are overwhelmed and frustrated because your house is a mess. You get in a bad mood and we know what the consequence is for you family. Choosing to spend 15 minutes picking up or watching TV has consequences.

I could go on and on with examples. But it is very simple, the little choices you make everyday will have consequences. They may start out small, but making those same little choices daily will lead to bigger consequences. You can plead not guilty, but eventually the truth will show in the consequences. Remember, what may be a choice for you is really not an option so choose wisely.

"4You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?6But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up....

13Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." 14Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." 16As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. 17Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins....

13Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
17Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. 19My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins."

James 4:4-10,13-17; 5:13-20

So, how do we make the right choices and avoid negative consequences? Remember these things as James said:

1. Choose God over the world (in how you spend your time and money)

2. Choose to admit your sins (remember grace)

3. Choose to praise Him (even for the little things)

4. Choose prayer (for yourself and others)

5. Choose to lead others (friends, family, children) to God - not away