Think Short Term
How to Make a Bad Decision • Sermon • Submitted
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Handout
Kids
Kids
New series on making decisions
As I thought about making decisions I thought about a rubik’s cube
This is a Pocket Cube or a 2x2x2 Rubik’s cube
Did you know that this 2x2 can be mixed up into 3,674,160 combinations?
That’s a big number!
But did you know that if you fiddle with the 2x2x2 cube randomly, eight hours a day continuously, you'll solve it by pure chance roughly two or three times per year?
But none of us want to sit and randomly fiddle with the cube 8 hours a day.
If we want to solve the cube, we learn how it works and pay attention to what’s happening on each side and then we go about making decisions to solve it.
Now I know that some people can solve 2x2’s and 5x5’s blindfolded behind their backs but that’s part of my point.
We make thousands of decisions every day
God made us so that we can make many of these decisions pretty easily,
like putting on our socks
or deciding to step over a toy on the floor so we don’t trip
like solving a rubik’s cube blindfolded or behind our back we become really good at lots of things and we don’t really even think about how good we are.
But many of our decisions are much more difficult than that.
like how to treat our friend or bro or sis when they are doing something we don’t like.
Or how to dish out ice cream when there’s not much left and everyone in our family would like some
God made us able to deal with harder decisions, to look at a problem or situation and see its different parts to figure out how to respond to it.
And we’re told in Ps 147:5 that God’s understanding is infinite,
5 Our Lord is great, vast in power; his understanding is infinite.
That word infinite, like Infinity - Buzz Lightyear or Marvel Infinity War
3,674,160 is a big number but it’s nothing compared to infinity.
God’s understanding has no end, it just goes on and on.
that means that we can know a lot of things but he knows everything there is to know.
we can look at a problem from a lot of angles but He can see all the sides of something all at once.
So as we learn to make decisions we should remember that God understands best and we can lean on his understanding to help us see the sides of a situation and make a good decision.
Let’s pray.
Intro
Intro
The impact of decisions
Me:
President Trump last week:
We’re in a time of lots of high profile decision-making, second guessing and armchair quarterbacking. We always live in response to the decisions of others - leaders make decisions that affect our opportunities and choices. But we're in a time when the weight of decision-making is as heavy as it's ever been.
Others:
Men - “hey, watch this.”
You:
Series
Look at bad decisions, do an autopsy of sorts
To see what went wrong and how God’s word speaks into those decisions to do the opposite
Today: If you want to make a bad decision, think short term...
Background
Background
The bad decision: Esau sold his birthright for some red lentil stew
family matters
siblings (womb)
parents
birthright
Inheritance
for any born into a family
Jacob had a birthright
Firstborn:
position
privileges
possessions - double portion
stew
lentils - lentil pizza
red - stuff
sold
Results of this bad decision:
Loss
A legacy and nation shaping nickname (Edom)
Me: U-Turn
Continued strife in a relationship
Body
Body
If you only think short term you’ll pay a high price in the long term. (Genesis 25:29-34)
If you only think short term you’ll pay a high price in the long term. (Genesis 25:29-34)
Factors in this bad decision
relationships
siblings (womb)
parents
interests/desires
weaknesses (hangry)
haste/urgency (“first sell me…”)
perspective
major on majors, minor on minors
avoid hyperbole
“I’m about to die...”
“…so what good is a birthright to me?”
D+P > character
When you think short term you let...
When you think short term you let...
your desires dominate. (Gen 25:29-30)
illus: car buying - I wanted a car, wanted to be done with searching for a car
urgency use you. (Gen 25:31, 33)
illus: car buying - in the business of selling cars now
your perspective skew proportions. (Gen 25:32, 34)
illus: mouth eating cars video
“I’m about to die...”
“…so what good is a birthright to me?”
despised - held in contempt what was to be treasured
illus: car buying - needed a car to lend to my friend who was coming to visit
Life in Christ is possible because of long term thinking. (Hebrews 12:2)
Life in Christ is possible because of long term thinking. (Hebrews 12:2)
2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
To overcome short term thinking...
To overcome short term thinking...
Be real. (Proverbs 14:8)
8 The sensible person’s wisdom is to consider his way, but the stupidity of fools deceives them.
Be circumspect. (Proverbs 14:8)
8 The sensible person’s wisdom is to consider his way, but the stupidity of fools deceives them.
cir•cum•spect \ˈsər-kəm-ˌspekt\ adjective
[Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French circonspect, from Latin circumspectus, from past participle of circumspicere to look around, be cautious, from circum- + specere to look — more at SPY]
(15th century)
: careful to consider all circumstances and possible consequences : PRUDENT
> 10-10-10
Be quick, as needed, but don’t hurry. (Proverbs 19:2)
2 Even zeal is not good without knowledge, and the one who acts hastily sins.
> Read Tyranny of the Urgent
Conclusion
Conclusion
“Their quest had been worth all the pains it cost.” - The Silver Chair