Opportunity Cost
By Elizabeth Cole
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and SELF-CONTROL.” Galatians 5:22-23
For quite a bit of my childhood, our family’s refrigerator had the above verse affixed to its front…exactly the way it’s written above. I’ve never asked my mom why she needed that particular part of the fruit highlighted…but I’m thinking that being the mother of four strong-willed children might have had something to do with it!By Elizabeth Cole
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and SELF-CONTROL.” Galatians 5:22-23
I find the word a little ironic since I personally have very little hope of effectively producing control of myself…of my appetites, of my choices, of my decisions. No, the only way self-control is ever evidenced in my life is when I am Spirit-controlled. And that’s a choice: moment by moment, decision by decision, opportunity by opportunity. In every instance, I choose whether to allow the Spirit to take the lead in my life, or wrestle back control and do it my way. I then have the delight of walking through the consequences of Spirit-led self-control, or the not-so-delightful consequences of utter lack of self-control. Sadly, those types of consequences often include plain old sin.
There’s a great term used by economists to describe the real cost of financial choices. Opportunity Cost is calculated by determining the cost of the opportunity that was forgone in the choice of one expenditure over another. For example, if an organization chooses to spend capital monies on purchasing a new copy machine instead of new computers, the opportunity cost is the cost of the computers…along with all the benefits the organization could have received had they purchased the computers instead. (1)
On a spiritual level, consider the opportunity costs associated with lack of self-control. Choices made in my out-of-control state include not just the cost of what I actually do, but also the opportunity cost of what I might have been able to be and do for Christ and His kingdom had I allowed the Spirit to give me self-control. Take yesterday for example: the real cost of sitting and watching way too much television cost me regret, a sore neck and a bored heart; the opportunity cost goes even further to include a couple of thank-you notes, an encouraging phone call or two, quality time with a child, and writing a devotional before the deadline!
Beloved, in making choices today, choose Spirit-led self-control…the opportunity cost is too high for the alternative.
GOING DEEPER:
1. In decision making today, what could you do to remind yourself to allow the Spirit to give you self-control?
2. As you think about an area of your life that lacks self-control, is it worth the opportunity cost?
FURTHER READING:
I Thessalonians 5:4-11; I Peter 1:13-16
Elizabeth is a wife, mother to one adult and two teen-aged daughters, and is the Director of Women’s Ministries at Oakwood Church.
(1) www.answers.com/topic/opportunity-cost
