Remember Y2K?

Read: James 2:19-27

But become doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
James 2:22

Back in 1976, when I was a senior in high school, my computer science professor predicted a crisis in the year 2000 (Y2K for short). Even back then, he said that too many people were programming years with just two digits, ostensibly because it saved space, but really because it was easier. In such a system, the year 2000 would be represented as "00". So, in the year 2000 someone born in the year 1959 would be, in the anthropomorphic eyes of the computer, negative 59 years old instead of 41. This could cause problems with billing, with social security payments, electrical switching problems, and even make the air traffic control system fail. Mr. Cumberland said, “If any of you use only two digits, I hope you lose everything in the year 2000, because it’s going to be all your fault.”

Y2K has come and gone without all the dire predictions coming true—but only because tens of billions of dollars were spent to fix the problem. How did we get into this mess and others like it? Why do we mess up our lives by taking the easy way out? The answer is simple—we are lazy. We know to do right and yet we don't do it. We have been told how to avoid problems, but refuse to do what it takes. Why? Two simple self-deceptions: (1) we think a little less effort now won't matter down the road; or (2) we believe that we'll be willing to deal with the consequences later.
God knows us better than that. He wants us to obey His Word, not just because it does Him good, but because it's the best way for us to live. The Holy Spirit said through James, “If you don't do what you hear, you are just lying to yourself!” Our present actions impact future events in ways we may never know until it is too late. A small omission today could cause big problems later in your life or in the lives of others. Challenge yourself to not take the easy way out. Take every opportunity to obey God's commands.