When I look around at the world, I see a ton of people who are unsatisfied with their circumstances. I understand that you can be dealt a bad hand. But even so, I am so surprised at how many people live their lives without accepting responsibility for their actions. Decisions made in one’s life leads you to your circumstances. You can choose to change. It’s not that difficult, but it begins with understanding how decisions can affect you. Here’s a brief story.
A young man is in high school and his hormones are raging. He thinks about sex all of the time. How to get it and how to get a lot of it. He doesn’t heed his parents’ or youth minister’s advice. Instead, he decides the best course of action is to listen to what his body is telling him. In time, girls take notice of him as well. Some of his efforts pay off. For many girls are in the same position. They love to wear short clothing, lots of makeup and use the latest tools to look their best. These girls may not sell their bodies for money, but instead for a kind smile, a cheap date, or the security of being held. Boy meets girl, and they have sex. In this case, they get pregnant. And now, instead of ACT scores or the Friday night football game, the new focus becomes pregnancy information and unique baby blankets. The parents don’t support the kids. They are kicked out of the home. Instead of a college education, the boy is forced to go to work at a factory. Now, he’s busy cranking out wood products, working 10 hours a day so that he can pay for gas, diapers and baby formula. And so it begins. Slave to a paycheck. Slave to work. No time to breathe. No time to leave. Eventually, this boy gets tired and leaves the mother and child on their own. Single mothers. No fathers. A vicious cycle. Slave to life. Slave to sin.
If only there were another way. If only there were freedom. Ah…how sweet is the grace that flows from the blood of Jesus that breaks the yoke of slavery. It sets us free! May we live under his grace, and may be learn to see the cause and effect of our actions.
