Proverbs 15:21
When
you don’t see the consequences of bad behavior, you can live in bliss for a
moment. And some people live with no regard to the future. They rarely, if ever,
think of the consequences. Our proverb says that they will have joy, the same
kind of joy that is the temporary lift that is connected to any positive
behavior. Joy bubbles to the surface quickly, and retreats just as rapidly. Joy
is temporary.
We
know children don’t really think about consequences. Thinking about
consequences requires the ability to think abstractly which doesn’t really kick
in for most children until age nine for most kids. What we teach kids earlier
than this is that behavior A brings result B. But they can’t figure out that behavior
C will bring results D if they have never done behavior C and received D.
When
people live for the moment only, they might experience joy, but always at a
cost. And the cost always outweighs the joy, but the cost is usually in the
future, so they enjoy the joy of the moment.
By
contrast, the wise person doesn’t get sidetracked by momentary pleasures. They don’t
trade a temporary gain for a long term goal. They stick to their guns, now
willing to give up on what is really important. They know the direction they
want to go, and they don’t allow themselves to get pulled off course. Even when
they are forced to take a detour, the goal is still in their sights. They have
a goal!
I
can imagine a laboratory rat trained to seek out food. You train the rat to not
stop to pick up one piece of food along the way because the door to abundant
food closes after a few seconds. Once it is trained it runs as fast as it can
to make it through the door before it closes. The rat chooses to keep the goal
in mind. Some rats cannot be trained to ignore the food along the way. They get
distracted, and miss out on the big prize.
I
want to be trainable, moldable by the LORD. I want to learn the lessons the
first time around. I want to listen closely to His leading. I want to stay on
the straight course, the shortest route between two places.