One lesson that seems to be constantly overlooked today and emphasized by the phrase “A man reaps what he sows” is that there are consequences for your actions.

There is a result to every decision that we make. Bad decisions give us bad results. Good decisions bring about good results.

The word consequences tend to be viewed as a negative word, but consequences can also be good!

Looking into the “law of the harvest” is beneficial and also exciting because we get to explore the system that God has woven into reality. God also takes an active role in this system.

If we meditate on this, I believe we will make better choices and discipline becomes easier.

I believe there can be two results in making bad choices and good choices.

One result we receive for our actions is what I call “natural results”. Let’s look at the natural results of bad actions.

If you spend your time partying and getting drunk, some of the natural consequences of this decision will be a painful hangover, regret, and increased addiction.

To continue to pursue selfishness (or self-absorption, as we talked about yesterday) you will become dissatisfied with life, you will be more judgmental of others, you will use others and hurt them, and people will begin to become bitter and angry with you. Then, people will turn on you.

While not ignoring God’s sovereignty in all of this, these sorts of consequences seem to come about naturally as a direct result of your actions. 

This applies to good choices we make as well.

If you pursue God diligently and learn of His character, your affection, and care for God will increase which also leads to overall well-being and stability as the opinion of others becomes irrelevant (and people are not consistent like God is consistent).

If you treat others well, even your enemies, you will be more likely to be at peace with others and they may even bless you in return… if they don’t you will still have God’s approval of your actions, and this will mean the most to you if you are pursuing God instead of the world.

However, there is another category of consequences that I call “supernatural results”.

This one is best explained through biblical examples.

What happened to David’s first child with Bathsheba? First, David experienced natural consequences for his adultery. His sinful action led to increased deception and even murder. But then Samuel confronts David and reveals this,

“The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child who is born to you shall die.” (2 Samuel 12:13-14)

The child did not die because there is some sort of illness that comes from children born out of wedlock, scripture says, “And the Lord afflicted the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and he became sick.”

God directly opposed David’s actions (being a child of God this was not a punishment to pay for sin but God disciplining  David to change him and to keep His own name from being profaned by David’s public choices).

Another example is in Joshua 7. Achan stole from the remains of Jericho which were dedicated to destruction. As a result, 36 Israelites died in their next battle against Ai. God reveals the reason for these men’s deaths, “Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies…”

Something to note with these examples too, these individuals’ poor decisions led to supernatural consequences that affected other people. Our actions can also hurt or help others – especially the people we care about most.

Another thing to keep in mind is that tragedy is not always a result of sin in your life. It could be necessary for God to be glorified or it may be as a result of somebody else’s sin.

For a third example for the New Testament, consider what happened to Ananias and Sapphira in Acts.

God directly supports us when we make good choices as well.

When Jesus resisted the devil in the desert, God sent angels to attend to Him.

When Joshua kept his promise to the Gibeonites, God stopped the sun to give them victory over their enemies.

We see in Psalm 18 that God “stepped down” to directly oppose Saul as David considered God in the decision he made towards Saul.

“In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help… He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet. He rode on a cherub and flew; he came swiftly on the wings of the wind… The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.”

This law does not guarantee that just because we do good that we will always directly receive good in return. You can be kind and people will betray you or hate you. You can live to trust the Lord and we can still lose people we care about. 

However, the one reward for good actions that is exclusive to believers in Christ is that God’s favor will be upon you and He will be glorified by your actions. Also, the one good choice of trusting in Christ as your Lord and Savior allow you to enter into a promise found in Romans 8:28, only the Christian can say that everything that happens to them in this life is for their good, their benefit.

What choices have you been making recently? I encourage you to reflect on the consequences of them and commit in prayer to adopt long-term thinking by considering the consequences of every decision you make going forward.

To simplify the decision-making process just contemplate this question, “does this action glorify God?” If the answer is no, turn away. If the answer is yes, go forward and enjoy the benefits of revering God over all things. A heavenly smile is surely upon you.