An older man was asked by a younger man the time of day. The older man just ignored the question. When asked by his friend why he was so rude, he said, "If I had given him the time of day, he'd want to know where I am going. Then we might talk about our interests. If we did that he might invite himself to my house for dinner. If he came to my house, he would meet my lovely daughter. If he met her, they would both fall in love, and frankly, I don't want my daughter marrying someone who can't afford a watch."
Spiritually speaking there is a great advantage to wisely thinking about the end result of our choices. Before we speak, and before we make choices, we must try through prayer, and through God's word, to consider more than the immediate result. Is it not the case that most of us can say, that if we would have known where that road was going to take us, we would have never headed in that direction. Yet at the time we may have been so caught up in the moment, that we did not stop and consider the possible long term consequences. It is said of the great leader Moses, "When he has grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to endure ill treatment with people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin; considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward" (Hebrews 11:24-26).
Sin and the world calls to us, as Egypt called to Moses, but instead of looking at just the present, he looked to those things of eternal value. He made the right choice. How about you? It's not too late to change your direction.
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