Thinking Ahead
Life consists of choices. Everyday we make hundreds of decisions. Most of these are basic choices like what foods we’ll eat, what clothes we’ll wear, and a variety of other similar things. Some decisions are simple and somewhat insignificant, while others are serious, leading to important and long-lasting consequences.
The quality of our decisions determines the quality of our lives. To have a better life, we must make better decisions. And the way to make better choices is to think ahead — to consider the results, the impact, the potential consequences of our decisions. The difference between a wise person and a foolish person is contemplation and consideration in their life choices.
The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah, reflecting on the spiritual fall of God’s people and the pain it produced, made an important observation about Judah’s bad choices:
… she gave no thought to her future … — Lamentations 1:9 (NLT)
God’s people made a major mistake. They made decisions without thinking about the end result. They never reflected on where their choices would take them. They didn’t think ahead! They didn’t consider the future destination of their decisions.
Putting our potential choices in the light of tomorrow’s consequences brings clarity to us. It makes certain decisions easier. It keeps us from a great deal of pain and problems. Think about all the things you would have done differently if you had more carefully considered the consequences. Think about the pain and problems you could have avoided with a little more foresight.
Improve the quality of your life by improving the quality of your decisions. Practice wisdom by thinking ahead!
Dale O'Shields
For more information, visit the Church of the Redeemer's website.
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