I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how every decision we make affects not only ourselves but others.
It seems I spend much time in the book of Jeremiah and found in chapter 6 verse 16 is this statement in the Message translation made by men and women, just like us! “…Nothing doing. We aren’t going that way.” This was their response to God speaking to them and leading down a path that would have blessed them, and those that would later come yet the chose not to obey Him.
While reading this portion of scripture over and over in different translations I began to think about how their decision not only affected them but also those around them and for those to come. Every decision we face needs to be bathed in prayer and we must consider how it will affect those closest to us as well as those that we are connected to.
While ministring to bible school students recently the phrase, “remember that your decisions affect more than just yourself” came out. My oldest daughter was sitting in the class and afterwards during Q and A, a student asked her how my family and ministry decisions had affected her life and that of her sister (whom many of them know). Right there it struck me that the phrase was just as much for me as for the students!
Our life and ministry decisions will affect others. From who we marry, where we live, what school we attend, what job we take to what church we attend and area’s of ministry to participate in, they all affect others.
Every major life decision should be considered from others point of view as well as our own. We affect other lives and destinies, some knowingly others that only God knows. So as we seek God for answers and life’s direction know that the decisions we make and follow through on are affecting others still to come!

