Proverbs 21:1-15

Proverbs 21:1-15

There are always unintended consequences for our actions. We set out on a course of action toward a desired goal, and along the way we experience events or realities that were not part of our plan. They were the byproducts or secondary effects of what we were doing. They were wholly unintended, but they were not entirely unexpected. This passage gives several examples.

In verse 3 the person who is focused on doing what is right and fair may not have expected that it would be a time of worship, but God sees it this way. The burning lamp in verse 4 was indicative of prosperity and wealth, as olive oil was expensive. The person in pride and arrogance who has an ostentatious display of their wealth might not think that these very symbols of wealth are sinful, but it is an unintended consequence of their action.

Consider the actions of the conscientious and thoughtful person who is motivated by doing a good job and the right thing. The byproduct they experience is advantage. Notice Solomon doesn't limit it to strictly financial gain; the advantage might be something else entirely. In contrast to diligence is the person who tries the shortcut. The unintended but not unexpected opposite of diligence is poverty.

When a person attempts to get rich by deception, they expect to make substantial gains to be enjoyed. It never occurs to them that this wealth is like a fog, always there but also forever out of reach. Rather than a substantial life, they only get death for their efforts.

We cannot know with certainty all the second- or third-level effects of our decisions and actions, but we can know that they will be there. We can know the generalities of our actions. If we walk through a spring meadow, we may not know the specific flowers we will find, but we know there will be at least one there. The same is true if we walk in a garbage dump

“Lord, help me to walk circumspectly and anticipate unintended consequences. AMEN."