Do the right thing

August 30, 2007

By Jerry Scott

When crisis strikes, when disappointment comes, or even when opportunities arise, we ask, “What do I do now?” The answer always begins, “Do the right thing!”

And what is the right thing to do? The baseline response to that question must lead back to what the Word teaches us. Over and over in my life, when I have found myself at a crossroads or in a crisis, I have found my way back to the basics of what Jesus Christ taught — “Love God wholeheartedly and love others as intensely as you love yourself. Seek to serve, not to be served.”

How do I express love for God today, in this situation? What choices are expressions of genuine love for others? Am I only serving myself or am I choosing to honor my Lord?

With those points prayerfully considered a course of action begins to take shape. Often that course of action is costly. I want to protest, “I can’t do this!” But with the Holy Spirit giving me strength I am able to do the right thing one day at a time.

We live in a culture that teaches us the right thing is the choice that gratifies us or that alleviates our pain most quickly or brings us the most immediate benefit. For many people life’s constant theme is “It’s all about me!” That way of thinking inevitably leads to poor choices that produce pain in the long-term.

Joshua faced a crossroads when he was selected to succeed Moses and lead the Children of Israel into the Promised Land. In the 40 years Moses led the Israelites, they had chosen poorly many times. Repeatedly they resisted God’s direction, grumbled about hardship, and allowed bitterness to skew their thinking. Eventually their self-centeredness caused them to die in the wilderness.

After Moses passed away, Joshua was anointed as Israel’s leader. He saw the challenge in leading the next generation to do what their parents had refused to do. How could he do it? What was the right thing to do?

God came to him and said, “Strength! Courage! You are going to lead this people to inherit the land that I promised to give their ancestors. Give it everything you have, heart and soul. Make sure you carry out The Revelation that Moses commanded you, every bit of it. Don’t get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you’re going. And don’t for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed. Haven’t I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take.” (Joshua 1:6-9, The Message).

Do the right thing!

Years later, after he had led Israel through a successful campaign to own the land God promised to Abraham, Joshua was near his own death. He summoned the nation’s leaders and gave them a similar challenge.

“So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. … Serve the Lord alone. But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. … But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:14,15, NLT).

Do the right thing!

Are you standing at a crossroads in life? Are multiple opportunities presenting you with options? Does a sense of panic threaten to overwhelm you in a crisis? Take this word from the Word and think it through today, asking for the Spirit’s guidance: “This is what the Lord says: ‘Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls’ ” (Jeremiah 6:16, NIV).

Jerry D. Scott is senior pastor of Washington (N.J.) Assembly of God.