Sin Affects, Not Only You, But Everyone

But the sons of Israel acted unfaithfully in regard to the things under the ban, for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, took some of the things under the ban, therefore the anger of the Lord burned against the sons of Israel. Joshua 7:1

Under the Lord’s protection and guidance, along with Joshua’s leadership, the children of Israel possessed the city of Jericho. As they overtook, destroyed, and burned the city, they spared Rahab, her household, and her possessions. They also acquired silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, to put into the treasury of the house of the Lord.

The Israelites were told to abstain from the accursed things, lest they become accursed, and the camp of Israel would be cursed and troubled (Joshua 6:17-19). Not long after, Achan took the accursed things, and the anger of the Lord burned against the children of Israel.

Joshua sent men to Ai to spy out the country. The men returned to report that Ai was few in number, and only 2-3,000 men could defeat Ai. Joshua sent the Israelite men for battle, but they were defeated, struck down, and some were chased as far as Shebarim. From hearing the defeat, the hearts of the Israelites were melted.
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We see in this passage that the sin of Achan affected not only himself but the entire Israelite camp. The men of Israel experienced defeat at Ai, which was puzzling to them because in past victories, they defeated armies much greater in number than the men of Ai. The difference on this occasion was that because of Achan’s deliberate sin, the Lord’s anger burned against the children of Israel.

We can learn from Achan’s example. Achan knew he was not to take the accursed or banned items, but he chose to do so anyway. Achan did not consider the Lord or others when he sinned; he only thought about what he wanted at the time.
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In the same way, when we sin against the Lord, it is our deliberate choice because He tells us in His word what we are to do and what we should not do. The consequences of Achan’s sin led to a curse on Israel and trouble. As a result, 36 of the men who battled with Ai were struck down, others were chased, and they fled from Ai. The defeat changed the hearts of the people from one of courage to discouragement, fear, and defeat.

Think about your choices. When you sin, think of how it grieves the Lord, causes Him to be angry about your disobedience, leads to significant consequences, and His discipline. Also, think of how your choices affect not only you but others. These choices can have long-lasting impacts and cause great loss.
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Contrary to disobedience and sinful choices, think of how obedience blesses the Father and brings Him joy. He then blesses you, and those around you will also experience the blessings of the Lord, which also have long-lasting impacts for generations to come. 
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Just as sin affects everyone, choosing not to sin does as well. Choose to love and obey God today.