Then What?

I’ve become good friends with the two words: “Then what?” They remind me that there’s more at stake than what feels good in the moment.

In the short term, quick relief always sounds better than real restoration. But…then what? These two words keep me curious about where my immediate decision will eventually lead. If I choose to plant that seed, what fruit will likely grow from that tree?

If I choose to stay distant in a relationship over a minor offense where my ego got bruised, then what?  If I eat the whole bag of chips to try and fill my emptiness, then what? If I get impatient with God’s timing and plow ahead in my own strength, then what?

The answer is pretty clear: Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. (Matthew 7:20 NLT)

Jesus is clear. We will be identified by our actions. They reveal who we are. Which is why we’re called to choose what’s right—even if it makes things harder or is more costly in the moment. 

Asking “then what?” brings clarity by shifting the focus from the immediate impulse to the inevitable fruit that will follow. 

This reading was crafted to encourage your pursuit of story and creativity with God. Your donation makes this crowd-funded initiative possible. You can support it via PAYPAL (or by check to Allen Arnold at PO Box 62841, Colorado Springs, CO 80962).

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