Most people have heard of the idea of opportunity costs from economics. It's fundamentally a part of our finite mortal existence that we have limited resources, and we have to make choices as to how to use them.
How we choose to spend our time, our money, our attention, and everything else not only requires that we choose against spending them in any other way. The more options we have, the greater, it seems, are our opportunity costs. If we choose to have a sexually active relationship with someone, that would necessarily require not choosing any alternatives, and therefore have opportunity costs.
Sometimes it is difficult to see opportunity costs in the moment when a decision needs to be made. That's why church leaders have asked the youth, when they decide to live a chaste life, to make the decision now and stick to it. Waiting until the situation presents itself to make the choice requires the making of choices when the costs are no longer clear. I remember hearing this when I was a youth, although it was given in a heterosexual context, so it was easy to dismiss. I mean, I wasn't even attracted to girls, so it was a forgone conclusion that I would not be tempted with a girl. But I didn't really internalize it as maybe I should have. However, it is just as valuable for those with homosexual orientations as it is for heterosexuals. The opportunity costs are easier to see from a distance, so choose to be chaste now, and stick to it.
No comments:
Post a Comment