HomeWord - Oct. 6, 2006
When Cows Fly
This devotional was written by Jim Liebelt
Set an example for other followers by what you say and do, as well as by your love, faith, and purity. 1 Timothy 4:12 (CEV)
I read a news story recently that came from the state of
Neither was it good news for the traffic following the cattle carrier. The flying cows led to a chain reaction of negative events. Several cars hit some of the cows, and at least one cow died. Police scrambled to the scene. While working to control the accident scene, another truck approached on the interstate. It sped by, nearly hitting a police officer. Two police vehicles immediately began pursuit of the speeding truck. The truck quickly pulled off to the side of the interstate and two men jumped out and began running. The police vehicles also pulled over, the officers got out of their vehicles, and began pursuing the suspects on foot. Eventually, the suspects were caught. Unfortunately, the officers had stopped their vehicles in tall grass, which ignited a fire, engulfing their cars in flames and completely destroying them.
When cows fly, bad things happen. When cows fly, unintended consequences are set into motion. I don’t know about you, but when I look back on my day, so often I feel like I’ve sent cows flying. Of course, I’ve never actually flung a cow, but in my words and actions, I’ve unleashed all kinds of unintended consequences.
Here’s one simple example. In a weak moment, I’ve said unkind words about someone else in the presence of others and that, in turn, encourages those others to do the same. Typically, this just reflects the frustration of the moment, not even any long-term issues. But then the unkind words somehow make their way back to the person they were spoken about. Talk about unintended consequences. Pretty soon, it’s raining cows! Relationships are damaged and work has to be done to restore them. Sometimes, the relationships have been repaired, sometimes not.
The Scriptures tell us that we have a responsibility to keep a close watch over our lives regarding how we think, speak and act. Today’s story is just one simple reminder to all of us of why. When cows fly, unintended consequences result and bad things happen. Today, let’s do our best, with God’s help, to keep the cows where they belong.
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GOING DEEPER:
1. Think of a recent example when your thoughts, words or actions have unleashed negative unintended consequences.
2. What steps can you take to prevent similar unintended consequences from happening in the future?
FURTHER READING:
Matthew 12:35-37; 1 Corinthians 8:9-13
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