Doing the Right Thing Pays Off
Naturally speaking we gravitate towards doing the wrong thing – not the right thing. While the debate between the proclivity to sin and the propensity to sin is filled with nuances, we will allow the scholars to settle those pivotal issues. The practical reality is – the inner pull to do the wrong thing is common to all. The fact is – if there were no consequences, if we’d never be caught and if our conscience would never nag us and if guilt feelings would never overtake us – there’s no limit to what ‘wrong things’ we might do. Sin has damaged us at our very core. The dark energy inside me is called ‘the flesh’. (Galatians 5:16-26) Yes – that negative energy is resident in every believer – not just non-believers.
But a genuine Christian has a power within to override and overpower the dark workings of the flesh. That power is the Holy Spirit who lives permanently, without interruption within every believer. It is not that we have access to the Spirit of God on some occasions or in times of need. We have an even better arrangement. The moment anyone trusts Christ for salvation, the Holy Spirit (not a force; a Person!) comes to live inside that believer and He will never ever leave!
So here’s the scenario: you are struggling with something. You are beginning to think that maybe it is wrong. Maybe you should be getting out of something in which you have invested a lot of time and energy – perhaps even money. Maybe you’ve been pleasing yourself in some area of your life but lately you’ve been bothered about it. “Should I or shouldn’t I,” you ask. You’ve been reading your Bible and a verse convicted you or you heard some teaching and you had a strong feeling deep inside that you really need to change course.
But you wonder: is changing course really worth it? You aren’t the first one to ask yourself that question.
King Amaziah was planning to go to war against the enemies of God. He wondered if his nation’s army was strong enough to pull it off. So he contracted the services of another army to help out. A deal was struck. He paid them 3 and ¾ tons of silver for their assistance. No sooner had the deal been struck and the cash delivered, when a ‘man of God’ came to Amaziah and told him the deal was bad and definitely not pleasing to the Lord. His advice was: “Get out of it!”
The man of God advised him to go alone with his own army and let the Lord fight the battle for them. But all Amaziah could think about were those wagon loads of silver that had already left the city. “Yes, I hear what you’re saying, but I’ve already invested tons of silver in the other army. If I hadn’t already paid them, I’d obey the Lord – however the chances of me recovering my investments are next to nil.” That’s when the man of God uttered the statement that’s relevant for all times. “The Lord is able to give you much more than this.”
Are you wondering how much you will lose by obeying the Lord regarding an issue that’s been on your mind lately? Remember the man of God’s words to Amaziah: “The Lord is able to give you much more than this.”
You will never be the loser for bowing to the Lord’s desires for your life.
David Bowie – His Persistent God Thoughts
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