Short Term Satisfaction vs. Long Term Results

     I’m into exploring. Well, okay, I’m an “armchair explorer” (extraordinaire).

     But like most people, I’ve been fascinated by the discovery of The Titanic. And who of us can easily forget the wonderful images of that Great Queen of The Sea that Robert Ballard first brought to us.

    Men had conjectured Titanic’s final resting place for years, but this most famous of sea explorers discovered her; lying peacefully, 12,000 feet below the surface.

    She’s a beautiful thing, even now. That wonderful bow still juts her proud face forward, while weird sea creatures float listlessly in the darkness. At this depth, every square inch of the vessel is inundated by tons of pressure; like an elephant on your thumbnail.

    Ballard has always regretted not formally staking a claim on the great ship, since others have attempted to strip her bare of her jewels, china, chandeliers and any number of lesser objects. (And they’ve done a “good job” of it). The explorer has characterized the ship as a graveyard, and has compared the theft of these objects to stealing from the dead. And more than once he has sworn that he would never participate in such behavior.

    However, one day proved different from all the rest, and all his previous exclamations and proclamations were challenged. Bob and a few comrades were submerged two miles below their mother ship, and only the lights of the tiny submarine separated them from the most intense darkness that exists on this planet.

    Suddenly, as the sub’s lights scanned the smooth sea bottom, the most unlikely object appeared before them. A safe! Ballard’s hesitations and reservations seemed to “fly out the window.” The explorer navigated the little submarine closer, and began to manipulate the vessel’s built-in claw. (So reminiscent of the “put a quarter in the slot and see if you can win a stuffed animal” game).

   The claw clunked against the side of the safe, and Ballard managed to grasp its small handle. To no avail. It wouldn’t budge. The explorer surmised, “Well, who can say. That safe may contain the most precious gems, stocks, bonds, gold. Or it maybe the ship’s purser managed to retrieve its contents before the vessel went down. I guess we’ll never know. Our imagination will have to fill up that safe.”

    Now friends, I don’t know whether you’ve made the connection yet, but “when push came to shove,” Bob’s “iron-clad” theory proved less stable than the rusting hulk we call Titanic. Indeed, I think Ballard made a “titanic mistake,” since all his commitments failed him that day. Not so very different from the ship itself. For the unsinkable queen of the sea went down on her maiden voyage and our explorer’s commitment failed almost as quickly! One can only wonder what decision he might have made had the safe popped open and glorious riches been discovered there. I guess we’ll never know.

     I have been blessed to counsel several teens recently. They are just so “real,” and (from my experience) they are verbal and forthright, (at least by the time they move into a counseling process). Unfortunately, my three most recent adolescent cases has involved teenage sexuality. There was the under-age father, and the pregnant girl and the young lady involved in premarital sex with a classmate.

    As a Christian counselor, I discourage any sexual expression that occurs before or outside of marriage. In the case of the teenage father, I attempted to move him back towards the standard we call “abstinence.” And for all I know and understand he has renewed his commitment to that standard.

    But so like the famous explorer, and Titanic I believe that commitment will remain a theory ‘til it’s tested. What will the young man do when he’s presented with his next “opportunity” to make the right decision? We’ve talked about choices, but it’s all talk so far. What will he do when his vessel happens upon the next treasure trove? (It’s interesting that the Apostle Paul speaks of exercising control over our vessels; in this case, the human body).

    I hope my young charge makes the right decision when he comes upon that next “safe in the sand.” I hope he will refrain himself, and not attempt to open it. I hope the decision he made in a quiet moment will stand the test in a heated moment. I hope. I hope.

   And friends, God depends on us to turn theory into action in any number of areas of our lives. For we will be tested, and we ought count our boundaries sacred, and we ought lean hard on the commitments we make to refrain from sin, from deceit, from immorality.

   That young man is paying a heavy price for a few moments of pleasure. I refer to a concept I call “Short Term Satisfaction vs. Long Term Results.” In this case ten minutes of pleasure has cost him 18 years of responsibility.

   I think we should consider this principle every time we’re tempted to renege on our standards.

 

By William McDonald, PhD. Excerpt from "Unconventional Devotions" Copyright 2005