Always Do Right

By David J. Stewart

       Do right, though the stars fall, do right.

What would you do if you knew that no one was watching and you could get away with anything? I mean, if you had special powers that made you invincible and you couldn't get into any trouble, what sins or crimes would you commit? What would you do? The answer is who you really are inside. What kind of person are you, really? I want to be the type of person that does right no matter what the situation.

Hardly anyone does the right thing anymore. Abortion is the wrong choice. Homosexuality is the wrong choice. Fornication is the wrong choice. Taking advantage of others financially is the wrong choice. Divorce is the wrong choice. Drunkenness is the wrong choice. Idolatry is the wrong choice. Gossiping is the wrong choice. Condemning others is the wrong choice. Lying one's way into political office is the wrong choice. Swindling people out of their homes in the wrong choice. Immodesty is the wrong choice. These are all evil decisions. Everything in life is a series of choices that we all must make on a daily basis. What decisions have you made?

We should always strive to do the right thing, and be willing to go the extra mile to right our wrongs when we make mistakes. Jesus said in Matthew 5:39, “But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.” This means that if we wrong someone that we should be willing to go out of our way to right our wrongs. Why else would someone want to smite us? It doesn't mean to allow people to walk all over us as a rug carpet. Unsaved people will take advantage of Christian believers all day long. It means that if we wrong someone, or they THINK we have wronged them, we ought to do right by them and settle the matter in the eyes of God. This is what God means by, “blessed are the peacemakers” in Matthew 5:9. We ought to walk honestly amongst all men and “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). This is God's will.

God is glorified when we do the right thing. There's always a right choice and a wrong choice, a high path and a low path, God's way and our own way. May we all purpose in our hearts to please God by doing the right thing, always.