Psalm 31:23 - The Lord preserves the Faithful.
It is always the right thing to do the right thing - Anonymous
While the above quote may seem simple it is not always the easiest thing to do. There are times when it might be convenient to be less than honest.The following story was told by a man who lived during WWII. During the war it was next to impossible to get new tires. The only way to fix a flat was to "retread" a tire. This man's brother was shipping overseas so he agreed to take the bus across country, pick up his sister-in-law and drive her back to their home town. His brother had just purchased a car with "new tires." When he arrived to pick up his sister-in-law he discovered that the tires were retreads. In short, he fixed fifty-two flats in the next 2 days while they drove home. At one point he admitted that he faced a temptation he almost couldn't handle. He came around a curve and there was a car lying upside down in the ditch with 4 new tires on it. But he was a man of integrity and so naturally he left the tires on that car and kept fixing flats.
Is it ever right to do wrong? Aren't there situations when it isn't wrong to lie or cheat or steal? After all life is hard, right? All kinds of excuses will come to our minds as to when it might be acceptable to "bend the rules" a little. Here are some times when we might be tempted to falsify information:
Reporting on income tax
Returning something to the store that has been used
Saying someone isn't home when we know they are
Telling a bill collector that they have the wrong number
What about if our boss asks us to do something that we know isn't honest?
There is always the excuse that "everyone else is doing it" so why not me? It isn't really wrong, is it? Who hasn't had the thought "no one will ever know?" Yet somehow others do know when we aren't exactly honest. We gain more respect when we refuse to do what "everyone else is doing" because we know it is wrong. And let's suppose that no one does know. What about our own conscience? Somehow, no matter how hard we try, we just can't seem to fool ourselves. It goes without saying that we can't fool God.
It may not always be popular to do right but it is always the only acceptable choice, especially for a Christian. As I heard one preacher put it, "If doing right gets you into trouble then doing right will get you out of trouble in the end".
It would be wonderful to tell you that this man went down the road and someone gave him 4 new tires. But that isn't what happened. He just kept fixing flats. Life doesn't always have a fairy tale ending. We all will endure our share of trials. But one thing is certain: The Lord knows how to preserve the righteous. I would rather have his favor than to take the easy way out, wouldn't you?
Trusting him daily,
Sullivan Jones
It is always the right thing to do the right thing - Anonymous
While the above quote may seem simple it is not always the easiest thing to do. There are times when it might be convenient to be less than honest.The following story was told by a man who lived during WWII. During the war it was next to impossible to get new tires. The only way to fix a flat was to "retread" a tire. This man's brother was shipping overseas so he agreed to take the bus across country, pick up his sister-in-law and drive her back to their home town. His brother had just purchased a car with "new tires." When he arrived to pick up his sister-in-law he discovered that the tires were retreads. In short, he fixed fifty-two flats in the next 2 days while they drove home. At one point he admitted that he faced a temptation he almost couldn't handle. He came around a curve and there was a car lying upside down in the ditch with 4 new tires on it. But he was a man of integrity and so naturally he left the tires on that car and kept fixing flats.
Is it ever right to do wrong? Aren't there situations when it isn't wrong to lie or cheat or steal? After all life is hard, right? All kinds of excuses will come to our minds as to when it might be acceptable to "bend the rules" a little. Here are some times when we might be tempted to falsify information:
Reporting on income tax
Returning something to the store that has been used
Saying someone isn't home when we know they are
Telling a bill collector that they have the wrong number
What about if our boss asks us to do something that we know isn't honest?
There is always the excuse that "everyone else is doing it" so why not me? It isn't really wrong, is it? Who hasn't had the thought "no one will ever know?" Yet somehow others do know when we aren't exactly honest. We gain more respect when we refuse to do what "everyone else is doing" because we know it is wrong. And let's suppose that no one does know. What about our own conscience? Somehow, no matter how hard we try, we just can't seem to fool ourselves. It goes without saying that we can't fool God.
It may not always be popular to do right but it is always the only acceptable choice, especially for a Christian. As I heard one preacher put it, "If doing right gets you into trouble then doing right will get you out of trouble in the end".
It would be wonderful to tell you that this man went down the road and someone gave him 4 new tires. But that isn't what happened. He just kept fixing flats. Life doesn't always have a fairy tale ending. We all will endure our share of trials. But one thing is certain: The Lord knows how to preserve the righteous. I would rather have his favor than to take the easy way out, wouldn't you?
Trusting him daily,
Sullivan Jones
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