CONSEQUENCES...

Recently, a member of the Conservative Party was assassinated…that is one of the ways he was described in the media.  But he is a person first, not his party or affiliation.  When we assign a headline to a person or their character, it is easier to disassociate ourselves from them. 

Two things that continue to weigh heavily on my heart, in addition to the loss of his life and countless others that are lost across the world each day, are the 1) seeming lack of remorse and 2) seeming lack of understanding of the consequences that will be faced for committing such atrocities…not just in this life, but in the life to come.

CONSEQUENCES…let’s talk about it for a moment.  One of my favorite movies is Shawshank Redemption (if you haven’t watched it before, I highly recommend it).  While it is a film about life in prison, it is much more than that…but, for our purposes today, I’d like to focus on the prison part. 

When people plot to harm others, do they stop to imagine the consequences they will face when they get caught?  The freedoms they will lose (locked up in prison, no access to their phones, social media, family or friends on a daily basis…to name a few) or the dangers some may face while in prison.  Is what they are planning worth the consequences they will face when they get caught?

I understand anger…and have experienced it myself…we all have…but we must remember there is a better way…and hurting someone isn’t the answer.  We must remember what the Bible says about it…

“Be angry, but sin not:  let not the sun go down on your wrath” (Ephesians 4:26)

People are going to hurt us and make us angry, but how we handle that anger is critical.  Many times, we “stew” over it…let it linger and fester in our hearts…building up a wall of resentment. 

God wants us to forgive, however, and let it GO!

“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  For if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14 - 15).

Accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior is the first step…He loves us, and we can invite Him into our life by confessing with our mouth the Lord Jesus and believing in our heart that God hath raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9). We can ask him into our hearts by saying, “I believe Jesus came and died on the cross for my sins and accept you as my Lord and Savior…please forgive my sins.  Come into my life and help me to be what you would have me to be, in Jesus’ name.”

I think sometimes people see the Bible as an old, antiquated book that holds no meaning for today, however, that is not true.  If we apply God’s principles from the Bible, it will help us.

So, the next time we are contemplating how to handle a situation that hurts us (or others), let’s weigh the consequences of our actions and remember what Jesus said about it…to forgive.