Food for Thought

Stop, Think, THEN Do! (9-24-12)

Stop, Think, THEN Do!

            James 4:17- Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

            A basic translation of this verse: If you know to do what is right (i.e. you know it’s wrong to drink), and you still decide to do the wrong thing, then you have sinned.

            If you’ve ever been faced with a pressing or immediate decision, you most likely know what it’s like to choose wrong. You probably get it when people complain about a decision that they’ve made, like having sex at an early age, doing drugs, drinking while driving… and you have most likely seen the effects of some of these decisions: any major decisions that can affect a person’s life in the long term.

            While this verse is definitely good for that area of thinking, I’ve found that it narrows down a bit to an everyday thought. For example, if I see a person in the halls at school, being bullied, and I stand by and let that happen, then I might as well have bullied them myself.

            God wants us to do the right things. Help out your friends with their homework; do your chores (even when your parents don’t tell you to); just provide some words of encouragement for people who’ve had a rough day.

             I’ve heard it a thousand times. “Well, you know, I curse a lot… I really should stop that.” Good! Great for you! But then I see that same person cursing someone within the next hour. People say, “Oh, man, I really wish I hadn’t slept with that guy…” but then, they repeat that same mistake, or they make a worse one by getting pregnant.

            I’ve used this as my motto, somewhat: The first time, it’s a mistake. The second time, it’s no longer a mistake. It’s a way of life.

            I’ve asked God to help me with my convictions about music, the way I dress, and the way I speak to others at school. Trust me, I’ve been there; cursing may seem like a minor sin, but it affects all other areas of a person’s character. When I stopped cursing, I stopped back-sassing my parents. I stopped getting into so many arguments with my sister.

            Listening to the wrong music can be just as harmful. What you see and hear can and will affect your lifestyle. You should ask God to help you with whatever your personal convictions are.

            Maybe you want to stop drinking. Maybe you’re just tired of the way to speak to your teachers. Maybe you just want to lay off on all the write-ups at school. Whatever the case may be, God can help you overcome your struggles. He can most certainly help you, if you ask Him. After all, he created the Earth as we know it; why wouldn’t he be able to attend to your needs?

            So, how do we hold on to these convictions? Obviously, prayer would be your number one advocate. If you’re a Christian, be sure to pray! Make sure you are bringing your major life problems (and even your smaller ones) to God, Jesus Christ, the only one who can ever help you fully with those issues.

            But there’s something else, something that even people not of the Christian faith can do. It’s something that is taught in school, something that even little children are being taught now.

            Think before you act.

            It sounds simple, but yet, we all have struggled with this. In this verse of the Bible, I believe that God is asking us to stop and think before we do anything. If you know in your heart that it’s wrong for you to gossip about that girl, no matter how much wrong she’s done, then you shouldn’t do it. Stop yourself; ask ‘What would Jesus do?’ And then make your decision.