She did not consider her future (Lamentations 1:9).
She is
Jerusalem. Lamentations is exactly that, a lament written to chronicle the
grief over Jerusalem’s destruction and her inhabitants exiled to Babylon.
The writer makes it clear that Judah’s fall was directly
related to her disobedience and egocentric attitude. Though cautioned time
after time about the consequences of such a lifestyle, Judah ignored the
warnings and rushed through the darkness denying there was a cliff.
I’ve read (no idea where) that the part of the brain that
fully appreciates long term consequences of our actions doesn’t mature until
one’s mid-twenties. This is directly related to impulse control and explains
why so many teenagers make decisions today that they regret tomorrow.
The truth is it’s not only teens that fail to take into
account where their choices will lead them. Years ago I saw an Arlo and
Janice cartoon where Arlo was
thinking about his son [2]. He then states to the reader: “Being a parent is
like yelling at the movie screen, ‘Don’t go down in the basement!’ ” Sometimes
being a pastor feels like that too.
In Eugene Peterson’s rendition of Proverbs we read: Don’t
judge wine by its label, or its bouquet, or its full-bodied flavor. Judge it
rather by the hangover it leaves you with, the queasy stomach (The Message, Proverbs 23:31,32).
In other words, we would do good to look further in front of
us than our own immediate gratification. Consider the consequences and make an
informed decision.
TODAY’S MEDITATION
Consider the consequences
of your present course of action. Need to make a course correction?
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