Doing the Right Thing

Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.

-- Romans 12:19

Author C.S. Lewis defined integrity as doing what’s right when no one else is watching. But in our modern culture that teaches what’s right or wrong is no longer so black or white, it’s reassuring to know that our God is One who never changes. What's more, he’s also a God of justice, and he promises to right the wrongs done against us. But he also expects his followers to seek justice along the way. As we read in James 4:17, "So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin."

Doing the right thing often calls for bravery. And while we may never

need to use it against a powerful army on the battlefield, we might have to take on figurative opponents like injustice, crime or discrimination. We have no hope of defeating them on our own. But we should be encouraged that God specializes in empowering average Joes and Janes to do the extraordinary against overwhelming odds.

A case in point is that David — an obscure shepherd boy and musician — once protected his nation by killing the Philistine giant Goliath with a stone from his slingshot. It was this same David who eventually became the mighty King of Israel and the one God called "a man after My own heart." Likewise, a fisherman named Peter quite literally dove into the deep end when he accepted Jesus' call to walk on water. After he began to doubt his own abilities, Peter started to sink. But Christ saved him once he called out in faith. This same hesitant follower, who would eventually deny Jesus to others three times, ultimately became a bold preacher of what the Book of Acts calls The Way (the Good News about his Savior, Jesus Christ). Two books of the Bible also bear Peter's name.

As Christ-followers, these examples should help us take heart. We know that the world can be a scary place, but God doesn't expect us to solve all of its problems. Instead, it's by seeking and embracing his power in faith that we can make a world of difference. And it all starts when we seek and do the right thing.