Some folk need to just “cut it out”. If you do “stupid” stuff you’re gonna pay for it. For every action there’s a consequence. And consequence doesn’t necessarily mean bad either. Make good choices and you can expect good results. On the other hand make bad and/or stupid choices and you’re most likely going to “reap what you sow”.
The reap and sow principal applies to every aspect of ALL our lives. I don’t exclude myself. No way. Growing up I did some stupid stuff too; had to pay the consequences. That’s why I say some folk need to “cut it out”. My nephew told his son one time “cut it out” and by the look on his face; tone of his voice he meant it. Junior “cut it out” before it was to late and avoided paying consequences. LOL! Perhaps you need to “cut it out” too. When you get to be as OLD as most of you are reading this blog nobody ought have to tell you the difference between “right and wrong”. My Mama used to say when I was growing up “Just do the RIGHT thing so you won’t have to get no whippin”. She meant what she said. LOL! But of course my brothers and sisters and ME sometimes ignored her warning and caught her wrath for not taking heed. Did that ever happen to you?
And then their were other people who weren’t disciplinarians but they tried to steer us based on their life experiences. An Auntie or Uncle, perhaps your Grandparents, Pastor or favorite cousin suggested you “cut it out”. Don’t you wish you’d taken their advice so you wouldn’t have had to pay the consequences for your actions?
I could delve into a lot of “cut it out” behaviors but for the sake of time here are a few you should consider. STOP making stupid choices in relationships; being gullible (believing everything they tell you) and IGNORING the “red” flags. Some of y’alls eyes are “wide shut”. If they mistreat you in the dating phase what do you think they’ll do AFTER you’ve possibly married them? And ladies, if he doesn’t love and have a good relationship with his Mama…get the point? Brothers, if she’s got issues with or hates her Daddy you may want to learn why. Remember, the only persons behavior you can ever expect to CHANGE or CONTROL is your own.
STOP having casual “unprotected” sex. Yeah I said it! Opening that can of worms can definitely create BAD consequences that could require you to pay for the rest of your life. Save yourself and be all means just #CUTITOUT.
STOP mismanaging your money; overspending and buying stuff you can’t afford. Learn to live on LESS and within your means. If your annual “take home” salary is $35,000 after you’ve paid taxes spend 28,000 living and sock the rest away for the future. Never to young or old to get started SAVING money. In fact the earlier you start the better you’ll be prepared for your retirement. I did the math for you so you won’t have to do the figuring. Did you know saving a mere $50 a month accumulates $600 in one year; $3,000 in five years; $6,000 in ten years? Time still flies (10 years gone before you know it) and money definitely grows if you’re disciplined enough to “leave it alone and let it GROW”. Here’s some additional money advice. You want to get ahead in life financially? The principal of sowing tithe and offering in your local church works. God’s theory on being prosperous is tried, tested and proven. I tried it. Yep! It works. Read Malachi 3:8-12 if you need to be refreshed on the bad and good consequences of your actions with money. Ooohhh wee!! My advice is when you get paid take God’s part out first. Pay yourself second; make a deposit into your own RETIREMENT ACCOUNT and then pay everybody else. The error most people make is they pay bills first, give God a $1 and don’t save any money for themselves. Or worse, they’re NOT good stewards over their money at all. That’s definitely a recipe for financial disaster. #CUTITOUT You’ve got to learn to handle money better if you’d like to be stable financially.
And STOP jackin yo credit up. Yeah I said it! #CUTITOUT Lots of references to 420 on the internet lately in connection with the legalization of marijuana in America. Talk about setting the country up for BAD consequences…right? We’ll talk more about that subject in a future #REGGIEGAY blog. Anyway! In case you didn’t know 420 in slang language means “weed” or marijuana these days. I know. Go figure. Who came up with that one? When you hear or read about this new generations reference to 420 it means them funny green cigarettes that AFTER smoking them they make you think you can “fly like a bird”. My brother-in-law thought it NOT robbery to post on social media “Whilst y’all worrying about getting 420 you need to be concerned about yo 420 credit score”. That’s right! You tell him brother. If you have credit my advice is to manage it well and ALWAYS pay your bills “on time”. You never know when you may need some credit to make ends meet. Of course if you’ve made a lot of bad choices with credit you’ll definitely suffer the consequences. For instance, did you know lots of employers these days check credit before hiring. Yep! Sho’ do. Maybe you can’t get a good job cause you’ve jacked up yo credit and are now paying the consequences. You may be a good person and even perfectly qualified but don’t get the job because your credit score is poor. Don’t fret! You’re not in the boat alone. Why do you think their are so many credit repaid commercials on radio and TV these days. Perhaps you need to jot the number down; call them and see if they can help you in your desperate situation. FYI, credit score is definitely a factor when trying to rent an apartment (in a nice and SAFE neighborhood) and get car insurance. You’ll pay (if you get approved at all) based on your credit score. No joke! I’m serious. That’s how it works these days. Credit is a privilege and everybody needs it somewhere along the way. I strongly suggest you use credit sparingly and wisely. Remember, if you CHARGE this month the bill’s coming NEXT month. And to avoid “paying interest” charge ONLY what you know you can “pay off” within 30 days. SPECIAL NOTE > > > If you really wanna stay out of credit trouble and keep yourself from getting overextended my Granny’s advice was “Pay for it with cash. That way they can’t come pick it up”. She sho said it; told me that when I was about 5 years old. No joke. And I’ve no idea how I remember that from so long ago. Wish I’d heeded her advice. Would’ve avoided a whole lot of consequences.
I could go “on and on” but surely you get it by now. #CUTITOUT (whatever bad behavior it is) before it’s to late. You have the power to correct and elevate yourself. You really do. Make GOOD choices and you can expect good consequences. On the other hand make enough bad choices and YOU will create your own doom. Read Philippians 4:13 for God’s strength and for the rest of your life and for your own benefit I urge you to think about the consequences and “make GOOD choices”.
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