Cause and Effect

<<the reason for the results>>

Cause and effect is a relationship between events or things, where one is the result of the other. This is a combination of action and reaction.

A sober man is not intoxicated by talking about or looking at liquor advertisements – only by consuming it. Then as a drunk he acts irrationally because he is under the influence of the drink. In contrast to the negative effect the alcohol has on the body, the Holy Spirit has a positive influence on

The fruit reveals the root

the new nature. Rather than spend time and energy trying by your own effort to change, concentrate on being, and staying, filled with the Spirit of God (Eph 5:18). Set up the cause and let the effects come naturally in their own time. “A man reaps what he sows” – either destruction or eternal life (Job 4:8; Gal 6:7,8). The choice is entirely up to us.

If the foundation is not robust, what is built on it is liable to destruction (Mt 7:23-27). God has ordered the universe on certain physical laws such as gravity. For our own wellbeing we should respect and operate within these restrictions or consistent rules. They give predictability to life, knowing that in any given situation the same result will take place. It’s impossible to sow weeds and expect to reap a good useful crop. It is our responsibility to eliminate destructive causes; don’t just continually deal with the effect. Chop off the roots, don’t just trim the shoots. When the spider is dead it can’t spin more cobwebs.

When something goes wrong, discover where or why the problem commenced. God would say to us as well, “Consider the path of your feet…Give careful thought to your ways” (Prov 4:26; Hag 1:5-11). If you are not where you want to be in life maybe you are on the wrong path. Determine your goals, set in place the steps to get there and with God's help start to implement them.

Behind every outcome there is a reason

What we feed into our mind has a strong possibility of being outworked (Mt 12:35).

Only by an extra-ordinary not-normal intervention can the effect not follow the cause. Such is the case where because of our sin (the cause), spiritual death (the effect) does not automatically follow if we turn in repentance and faith to Christ (Rom 5:8, 6:23). Christ took our rightful penalty and exchanged it with eternal life.