• Home
  • About This Blog
  • Contact Me
  • Subscribe
  • Comment Policy

Attempts at Honesty

Reflections on the interplay of the Bible and Culture

  • Westminster Shorter Catechism Series
  • Sermon on the Mount Series
Home Commentary The law of unintended consequences

The law of unintended consequences

Posted on September 15, 2012 Written by Mark McIntyre 2 Comments


Airplane
The airline did not anticipate the consequence of their policy.

Every decision has consequences. Good leaders anticipate those consequences and will take them into consideration when choosing a path forward.

Recently I had an experience where an airline implemented a policy of charging $50 to fly standby on an earlier flight (the airline I usually fly will allow me to fly standby for free).  I can only assume that some manager thought this a good way to increase revenue. For me the real consequence is that this airline will now be my last choice when choosing a carrier. My reluctance to use this airline again is an unintended consequence of a policy that must have seemed a good idea at the time.

Wisdom would say that we should not sacrifice long term goals to achieve a short term one. By trying to bilk an extra $50 out of me the airline will now get no revenue from me in the long term until they change their policy or other airlines become equally senseless.

In the same way, the church can sacrifice long term progress for short term gains. Our time frame for evaluation of our effectiveness is eternity. We will be judged on how well we did in making true disciples with whom we will spend that eternity.

To pump up programs and cultural relativity to bring people in the door and then waffle on teaching them to obey the commands of Scripture is to sacrifice the long term goal for short term gain. We do not need more attendees but we should want many more true disciples.

In the end, Jesus will not evaluate you on the church budget, the church attendance, the TV ratings or the number of programs. The question will be “did you make true disciples?”

Don’t sacrifice a long term relationship for $50 today.


Filed Under: Commentary Tagged With: consequence, law

About Mark McIntyre

A follower of Jesus Christ who shares observations about how Scripture should impact the church and the world. Mark is the original author and editor of Attempts at Honesty.

Follow Attempts at Honesty

Honesty in your Inbox

Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Martyn Lloyd-Jones on True Christians and the Sermon on the Mount

A comment made by Martyn Lloyd-Jones in the introduction to a collection of his sermons on the Sermon on the Mount is still relevant today. We need to be honest about the Church’s failures, repent and begin again.

Internet Troll

Never avenge yourselves – A warning to Christian trolls

In the internet age, civility seems to be the primary casualty. It is so easy to vent our judgment and hostility to those with whom we don’t agree. Unfortunately, those in the church sometimes share in this trollish behavior. There have been times when I have read social media posts and cringed at the lack of sensitivity to those who don’t share our beliefs.

High Places

High Places and Alliances – 1 Kings 3

1 Kings 3:1, 3 (ESV) 1 Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt. He took Pharaoh’s daughter and brought her into the city of David until he had finished building his own house and the house of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem. 3 Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the […]

Kneeling in Prayer

Toward an Understanding of Christian Stewardship

The main word that is translated steward is οἰκονόμος (oikonomos), a compound of the words for house (οἶκος) and law (νόμος). It literally means one who rules over a household. Therefore a steward is one who manages his masters assets for the master’s benefit. A steward manages the assets of another. Therefore the first question […]

Actions speak louder than words

“Actions speak louder than words” is a proverb whose over use sometimes masks the truth it contains. I read in Genesis 15:6, that Abram (soon to be Abraham) “believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” In Habakkuk 2:4, it says, “righteous shall live by his faith.” All through Scripture we find […]

Post Series

  • Westminster Shorter Catechism Series
  • Sermon on the Mount Series

Categories

Archives

Blogger Grid
Follow me on Blogarama

Copyright © 2022 · Focus Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in