Integrity- People of God

The cycle of life is experienced in the completed process of cause, effect and of reaction. Cause and Effect are defined as a relationship between events or experiences where one is the result of the other. It is a combination of actions and reactions.

People living on earth are the “causes” or the reason things are happening. It is because we have our own existence- “life,” that causes us to have opportunities to experience these cycles.. The “effects” are our experience, good or bad. Our reactions are our choices; ability to choose, our “will” to determine how we will respond to unfavorable experiences in life. Our reactions will determine how our lives will be lived out, or in essence, determine our destiny. Our actions may be a conscience decision to deliberately respond or an unconscious response we do out of habit or training. Our actions or reactions will set our life on a course that will result in the consequences of our choices.

Many people fail to see the correlation their choices and the consequences of those choices. Most people are taught to respond out of feelings, not conscience decisions that realize the effect of those responses. Therefore, they lose the connections that their negative reactions to life situations can start another process of cause, effect and the cycle will continue or begin again.

We see many feuds and or family tendencies continue for years and even generations because they continually respond in the same manner. Many people facing life challenges tend to respond in a way that produces a continued negative cycle. But, when positive reactions are consciously made, as a result of an individual choice, then that effect will also change. Thus a new life cycle is created.

In every situation we will go through this cycle of life. We will encounter a life event that will affect our being and then we will choose a response to that event. The choice we make at the time of this encounter will set our lives on a trajectory and the outcome will be a direct result of our choices. The thing about life experiences and mistakes are they cannot be undone. However, we can go through them and face the consequence of our choice of action and then hopefully make better decisions in the future.

Our past does not have to dictate our present or our future. Our present choices will determine our future. As the saying goes, you have to do things differently if you want different results. We cannot change the past but we can press through and live through the current consequences so that w can make better choices for our future.

How we respond to what life throws at us will govern the outcome of our lives. We are all part of the larger circle of life in our families and communities. But, we are the first circle in this cycle of life for our own destiny and that of our children as we decide by the choices we make.

In this new life, with a new birth, we have a Sovereign Lord and live in the kingdom of God. This fallen world system tells us to respond to our feelings but God tells us to respond in light of His word. The world says we have every right to be mad, angry and to hate those who have wronged us. God says love your enemy, to do good to others and to pray for those who have wronged us. These are two totally different reactions to the same effect of being wronged. Hate will lead to bitterness and destruction but it is the automatic response in this fallen nature. The Holy Spirit gives us the ability to forgive and to respond with love.

The circle continues with its circular motion and it has no definite end. Cycles will continue to go on until deliberate actions or deeds are taken to alter that cycle. It takes a new way of thinking and new decisions to choose to respond differently than what you have been taught through life. It must be a choice of the will to forgive and love those who have harmed us and it is because of love God and for God that constrains us.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

To change the cycle of a destructive life style we must change the belief system, which governs the circle of life –“cause, effect and reaction.” Dying to self with a renewed mind in Christ will place us in a new circle of supernatural life in Christ.

Life is a series of events. How we navigate these with our thoughts, words and deeds will affect us and our future generations. Mistakes cannot be undone but we can move past them as we go through the completion of the full circle of cause, and reaction to situations with different choices. This is a difficult thing to do in the natural but God has given us a new nature, in Christ Jesus.