I haven’t been exercising or eating well lately. I feel sluggish, weak, bloated, and flabby. My mind and body are suffering the natural consequences of my choices. God is not punishing me for my lack of discipline.
We may inherit behavioral traits from our ancestors. Some of these are the natural consequence of our heredity. We have a choice whether to continue these habits and patterns. For example, if alcoholism runs in our family, we may be genetically predisposed to addictive tendencies. Yet, we can choose a different path. It is not inevitable that every child of an alcoholic will turn out to be an addict of some sort.
I have heard Christians quote Old Testament verses to explain how God punishes us for generations because of the sins of our ancestors. I disagree. I think that we confuse natural consequences of our growth environment with supernatural punishment.
My family has made a conscious decision not to put chemicals on our lawn anymore. We realized that it seeps into the water table below and could cause long term health problems for ourselves, our neighbors, their children and grandchildren. If someone gets cancer 50 years from now, it is not God punishing them for the sins of their ancestors. It is because of the natural consequence of my choice to have a weed-free lawn.
God can supernaturally intervene in any situation and change the natural trajectory of a person’s life. However, sometimes He allows us to experience the natural consequences of our choices. This is not supernatural punishment. We must accept responsibility; our actions affect our family, friends, and descendants.
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