It seemed like a good idea at the time. "Let's put a catchy message on our Dixon-Ticonderoga No. 2 pencils to help kids remember to stay away from drugs." And so they did. The upstate New York pencil pusher made their point by stamping the slogan, "Too cool to do drugs" on their writing sticks. And they were sent throughout the land. This was thought to be a noble idea. But, alas, 'twas not. One day, an observant fourth-grade student noticed that as he sharpened his pencil, the message changed from "Too cool to do drugs" to "cool to do drugs" to "do drugs." Doh! Here is The Law of Unintended Consequences at work. In his article from The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics, Rob Norton, a columnist for "eCompany Now" magazine and previously the economics editor of "Fortune" magazine, defines the 'law' this way: "The law of unintended consequences, often cited but rarely defined, is that actions of people -- and especially of government -- always have effects that are unanticipated or 'unintended.' Economists and other social scientists have heeded its power for centuries; for just as long, politicians and popular opinion have largely ignored it." Choices have consequences -- some unintended, some undesirable. Take those pencils -- what a wonderful way to get a positive message into the hands and in front of the eyes of young, impressionable children. Uh, erase that. Maybe that wasn't such a good idea after all. Maybe somebody should have thought this through a little more. You think? Every day we must make decisions that affect our lives and the lives of others. Often, it's impossible to anticipate or predict the resulting outcomes of all our choices. What seems like a good idea in the short run, can yield disastrous consequences in the long run. That's scary! That's why we need God's wisdom to do the right thing -- to make the right choices. When we simply "trust and obey", God has this amazing way of making "all things work together for our good." You may be facing a major decision in your life today. I encourage you to seek God first -- and don't make a move until you've heard His voice. Remember the Ticonderoga! think on these things... James 1:5-8 (NLT) If you need wisdom -- if you want to know what God wants you to do -- ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. They can't make up their minds. They waver back and forth in everything they do. Romans 8:28 (NLT) And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. "The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry." (adapted from a line in "To a Mouse," by Robert Burns) Copyright 2004 Randall Gearhart top of page