No Immediate Consequences

Sometimes things that are not right or not good don't seem to carry the weight of being something that is bad.

A little lie... often even a big lie.

Gossip.

Pride.

Today, sometimes evening cheating.

We can easily justify any bad thing we do. Either because it is a benefit to us and therefore we are justified: "If it is good for me then it must be good, right?" Or it is justified because we see no consequence from the action: "I didn't get in trouble, I feel no remorse, so what's the deal?"

This spills over into just about anything we do. Eating unhealthy isn't good but until we suffer the consequences we will justify it with every bite or brush it off every meal.  

I did it for 13 years with smoking. I knew that it wasn't good, however, I enjoyed it and I suffered no immediate and tangible consequences. Therefore smoking couldn't be that bad, right?

What other things do we do... so easily... because there lies no immediate consequence?

This is dangerous thinking, is often very selfish, and unobservedly self-destructive.

It is a daily challenge to consider the things the I consume, the things that I say, and the things that I do... not in relation to consequence but in relation to...

What is right?

What is true?

What is useful?

What is helpful?

I am thankful for my faith in Christ as my Savior and Friend who helps me as I work out answering these questions.