The cost of “right”
Everything in this world has a cost. It can be monetary, our reputation, time, and even our eternity.
First of all, there is a difference between doing what is right and being right. Being right is much more subjective and can be very misleading, especially when we are talking about ourselves. Being right in our own mind can cause us to ignore others, ignore biblical truths, and even cause us to listen to the wrong beliefs in our minds.
Doing right is quantifiable by reading the Bible, following the laws in our world (that’s in the Bible too), and can even be guided by advice from people wiser than ourselves.
Being right can be very costly. It can cost us friends, family, money, freedom, etc. I find it’s very easy to convince myself that something that is truly wrong is actually right or makes sense in my own mind. I used to think things like:
I don’t need to go to church because of “X”
I just need to stay to myself and not get too close to people because all they do is hurt you.
Prayer? That’s a waste of time.
The list could go on and on. They are all lies that I convinced myself that were true. Me being “right” cost me a lot over the years. I didn’t have a peaceful home life, work was always unfulfilling, and overall, I just made lots of bad decisions over the years.
On the other hand, doing what is right has been a huge goal in my life in the last couple years. The biggest part is learning more from the Bible about how I am supposed to act as a man, husband, and father. Other ways I am trying to be better are in the way I speak, the way I think, and what I put first in my life. The funny thing is, I used to think of the cost of doing right and think it wasn’t worth it. Now I believe it’s the other way around. I will strive to choose the right thing every time. No matter the cost. If doing what’s right costs you some friends, they weren’t good friends anyway. If it costs you money, so be it. If the right way takes longer, drink some more coffee and get it done.
I find that the cost of doing the wrong thing will ultimately be greater than doing what’s right. I really wish I could say that doing what’s right is the easy and fun way to do things but unfortunately it seems to be the other way around most of the time. All the “fun” things I used to do like partying, drinking, cussing, etc. all were draining the goodness from my life. It kept me in a downward spiral with no real way to get out of it. It takes making a stand and making changes in your life to make things better. Even small changes add up over time.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Then I pressed further, “What you are doing is not right! Should you not walk in the fear of our God in order to avoid being mocked by enemy nations?
As you can see, it’s a common theme in the bible to focus on doing, thinking, and believing the right things. The problem is it is hard to do all the time. This week, reflect on your thoughts and actions. See where you could use some improvement and take steps to make it happen. I am still a work in progress and far from perfect, but I am trying everyday to be a better man than the day before. Join me in that fight.