Back in December, I visited the Elena Bulatova Fine Art Gallery in Palm Desert and saw this kinetic art, titled Vega Alta by Brad Howe. No one around to say no, and not a single “Do Not Touch” sign in sight, so I gently touched one of the paddles. As it moved it touched another, that one brushed another, and pretty soon the entire piece gently swayed. All from one small touch.
Life can be like that! One act, seemingly safe, triggers downstream consequences we never imagined. I suspect Eve felt the same when tempted with the proverbial apple. She was told it was safe. She liked the aroma. She tried just a small bite. She liked the taste; she finished it. And we all bear the results. Just a small bite that changed life.
The solution may lie in a childhood rhyme about traffic safety: “Look both ways before you cross the street; use your eyes and then your feet.” Or, to modify it for life, “Look down the road before you act; possible consequences can become a fact.”
God warned us “If they were wise, they would understand this, they would discern their latter end!” (Deuteronomy 32:29, RSV). Or, before you choose an act, think about where it might lead. Granted, not all possible results will become facts. But only a fool won’t consider that.
Thinking before we act involves looking where it may lead. It can include checking out the Bible to get God’s take on it. Getting wise advice can play a role. So can figuring out a strategy to insure that our small bite won’t lead to a bigger one. Prayer plays a part.
For all things? Let’s be practical. Does buying one brand of toothpaste or another likely change our life? If so, not in any way we could determine. So let’s focus on things with a spiritual dimension, that will narrow down the task. And frankly, we can’t know all the possible consequences, so don’t get “paralysis from analysis.”
But if you look both ways before crossing a street, that might make a great life hack.
By the way, when I saw this piece and envisioned the spiritual principle of small things, it tempted me to buy it as a daily reminder. Then I saw the price—$15,000. I looked down the road, saw an angry wife, and resisted.
Kick Starting the Application
Think of a time when a small act of yours led to bad consequences. What made it easy for you to do that? How could you have handled it differently? Are you facing a relatively minor but spiritual decision now? How can you apply the “just a small bite” lesson?