Buckshot

Some folks were hunting recently in our county when they made a dangerous error.  They were taking aim with their guns and then fired away.  The problem was they were way too close to houses for hunting.  Some buckshot struck the home of a good friend of mine.  It went all the way through his home and out the back side of it.    

Fortunately, my friend and his wife were not at home when it happened.  That's a good thing.  If they or anyone else had been there, this story would have resulted tragically in more than damaged property.  It could have ended much worse.

Those hunters made a gigantic mistake.  In thinking only about themselves, they damaged the property of someome else.  And they could have severely hurt another person.  

That story reminds me of this truth:  When we say and do things in life, we've got to consider more than ourselves.  It's also wise and caring to consider how our words and actions affect other people such as our families, friends, and fellow church members.

When we do wrong, we're endangering more than ourselves.  Way more!  We are also putting others at risk for great hardship.    If we're selfish and reckless, we could emotionally wound, financially cripple, mentally scar, physically endanger, socially humiliate, professionally destroy, and spiritually confuse people around us.  

One thing I've learned about life is this:  It's not about me.  Far from it.  Life is about loving God and loving people.  So I've got to consider more than my thoughts and feelings.  I've also got to consider the well-being of other people around me.  And so do you.

May God remind us and help us to think about more than just ourselves.