The Truth and Consequences

A couple of weeks ago I had a pleasant conversation with the Associate Pastor of our faith fellowship.  The conversation eventually ended up on the topic of young people and some of their decisions.  I'm a firm believer in the idea that most young people's frontal lobes aren't fully developed until they are at least 25 years old.  That's not to say that everyone's frontal lobes develop at the same time, but having been in the Air Force for over 15 years, I've observed that a good portion of young people make terrible decisions before they reach the age of 25.
As we both lamented the poor decisions of teens, and pre-teens, we wished that most of them could learn that their actions have consequences. Then I thought more about that word 'consequences' and wished I hadn't used it the negative way I did.  Sometimes I do that to myself, I'll find a word, concept or idea that changes my view about something, and then slip right back into using it the wrong way.  So, suffice it to say, one of my pet peeves is the negative use of the word 'consequences.'   In today's society, the word has gradually lost its true meaning, and is now tied to the results of bad decisions.  In actuality, consequences are the result of any action.  If I put in an eight hour day, the consequences of my actions is that I will be tired, but that I will also get paid for my labor.  It is a truly simple logic that I believe every child should be taught early.  Good actions yield good consequences, bad actions yield bad consequences.  If a child could see consequences as the deduction of pay for bad actions, and the wages for good actions, I think they would stop more often to weigh their decisions.Sadly, I don't think many parents are teaching this to their children.  Today we see our schools being run by the students, and the leadership of our universities caving in to abhorrent behavior.  It seems as if in today's society criminality is rewarded with admiration in social media circles.  Today, we have parents who 'reward' children for simply existing, instead of revealing the consequences of their actions.
The consequences of study should never be equated to a grade, but the power of that knowledge to affect change upon their lives, and the lives of others.
The consequences of physical training isn't in the medal, or the accolade, it is the response of their body to the will of their mind.  Physical well being is its own consequence.
The consequences of kindness is kindness in return.  The consequences of tenderness is tenderness in return.  The consequences of...I think you understand.  Everything we do has consequences.  Even when we do nothing it has consequences.
As an evangelical Christian, I believe one of the most powerful consequences is the product of a life of faith.  Science has proven time and time again that religious faith has good consequences in our life.  People who have faith recuperate better, live longer, are happier, give more, laugh more, and love more.
Someone I love deeply is going through a terrible time in their life, and they believe that they are being punished by God.  It breaks my heart to hear that, because I used to believe that way myself.  If my car broke down, the heater went out, or some other 'disaster' happened, it was because God was punishing me for something I'd done in my past.   I'd been raised this way, and I had to unlearn it.  It took me a long time to figure out that if my sins were thrown as far as the east is from the west, then their wasn't some ledger from which God was punishing me.  However, forgiveness doesn't absolve us of the consequences of our actions.  The consequence of owning a car that is fifteen years old, is it will break down.  The consequence of living in a home and never replacing the heating cooling unit in 22 years is that it will break down.  The consequence of living a life of giving is that others will give to you.  Consequences are consequences.
In past blogs I've alluded to a situation in my life that I'm working my way through.  It has been a tough situation because no matter what I do, or even if I do the 'right' thing, their is no good consequence.  Why? Because someone a long time ago made a bad decision and now the consequences of that decision has come to the forefront.  It was always there, but the innocent actions of others have revealed the consequences. I truly believe that this situation is going to end well, but the consequences are there and are not going to go away.   The person involved has asked God for forgiveness, and has even been forthright about what they did in their youth, still the consequences of their actions have become real. There are times we do things that have consequences from which no amount of forgiveness can erase them.
As a sheet metal man in the Air Force, I cut myself numerous times.  My hands, arms, legs, and yes even my torso bear the consequences of my actions.  I'm scarred from one end of me to another.  Over the years I've learned to be more careful, but that doesn't mean the scars will go away.  It is the same way with our bad decisions, and our good decisions, they all have consequences.  How we deal with those consequences is what determines our happiness level.
As I sit here in my office, I know that my little sparrows have moved further south.  I think this is going to be a tough winter because the birds left early, and we've already set into a colder weather pattern.  I miss the chitter chatter of the sparrows, and I know one of the consequences of the changing of seasons is that they disappear for awhile.  I can either be at peace with that, or I can blame God for my sparrows being gone.  However, there is a sure knowledge in me that the consequences of spring is that they will be back in force.  That is the truth about consequences. 

Kings, Despots, and Other Foolish Notions

As I write this, the 2018 Mid-Term elections are only two days away.  As an evangelical Christian, I have to admit to a great deal of trepidation concerning its outcome.  As a fiscal conservative, and a Republican, I'm concerned about the path people seem to be taking in what I consider to be the greatest nation on earth.  I won't mention names, nor will I vilify members of either party in an attempt to justify my long held beliefs.  There are two forces at work in our current political system and no one seems to be dealing with them head on.  Even if you took out the religious factor of which I am a proud proponent, the issues remain the same.  At the core and central to this election is the rule of law.  Those who profess a progressive political bent, are demanding that laws be interpreted, and applied based upon emotional criteria dictated by a current situation.  On the other side is the idea that laws should be followed, and enforced without consideration of mitigating circumstances.  The problem for both belief systems is this amazing document called the Constitution. 
Despite the best intentions of my conservative friends, and family, I believe the Constitution was meant be a living breathing agreement between people to allow us to grow into wiser, and more compassionate people.  The PEOPLE are the governors of this mighty nation, if we allow it to function the way the framers intended.  However, if we begin to nibble away at the foundations of the document, we run the risk of moving away from the ability to govern each other with wisdom, and compassion.  Our Constitution is the closest thing to how God intended men to live together short of His Kingdom on earth.  I believe it is the best Government you will find on the face of the earth.  Its purpose was to give every man rule over himself within the framework of forbidding the imposition of my will over another.  It is a delicate balance that I believe was set askew by using the courts to legislate. 
There is Biblical precedent for this in the moment that the Hebrew people surrendered their God given government for a man driven government.  The minute they told God they wanted a king, they surrendered their liberty.  Prior to that, God had given them a set of laws to govern how they should live among themselves.  In those laws were the precepts that our Constitution is based upon.  In the beginning, God desired that men would live by the laws He gave them.  In doing so, He promised He would protect them, shield them, and heal them.  The big IF was the necessity to follow those laws.  His laws encouraged people to live above their base natures.  His laws made allowance for every nuance of everyday life with the understanding that the limit of your reach was your fingertips.  Then again, that is never enough for people. 
As the Children of Israel stood and demanded a king, they also declared their slavery to another person.  How heartbreaking!  Kings, despots, and other foolish notions begin in the stew of stupidity that is compassion without wisdom.  When you surrender your liberty for safety, you surrender your ability to govern yourself over to another.  To me, this is the same lunacy that is expressed in demanding that companies print the ingredients on the labels of food products, and that fast food establishments give you a calorie count.  Eventually you will surrender the control of what goes in the can to government bureaucrats.  You have just surrendered your liberty to eat whatever you want to someone else. 
What does all of this have to do with living a life of peace?  I encourage anyone who reads this blog to go and watch the sparrows.  We could learn a few things from them.  They do not fret themselves with where they will get their next meal, nor do they exact their needs upon another.  They know one thing that the Israelites didn't learn, God provides.  It is something we need to reacquaint ourselves with if we intend for our nation to survive.
So as the mid-terms happen in a couple of days, I will be watching with a keen eye upon the mindset of the nation.  Do we wish to surrender our liberty in exchange for a false sense of safety, or will we determine to be the wiser shepherd of our own life.  It's simple, but sadly hidden in this desire to have others tell us what we are thinking.  The problem with kings, despots, and other forms of government, is that liberty is quickly surrendered to democracy.  If you don't know what that means, I can't help you.  Long live our republic, and the dream it was built upon.