Know and Do What is Right

One of my favorite sayings is “Focus on Getting it Right, Not Just Getting it Done”. I use this in my personal life as well as my professional life. James writes about this very topic and how it applies to our life in Christ.

“¹⁷So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” – James 4:17 (ESV)

Okay, maybe it is not exact in the topic, but I was certainly reminded of my saying this morning as I read the passage. We are to do what is right and when we do not, it is considered a sin.

We are to do what is right, when we know what is right. When we do not do what is right, then we are disobedient to God and that is where the sin comes in. Sin is that which goes against God. Sometimes we know when we are sinning and other times we do not.

My goal is to do what is right in the eyes of God. As noted above, sometimes I know what is right and other times I do not. Either way, for me it is a sin, and all sin is equally against God, the difference is in the approach I take with regard to that sin. When I don’t know that I am sinning, my repentance is for the sins I have committed that I am unaware. Avoiding those sins are difficult as they may have been in the moment and I may not have even known as there was no visible impact to others. The sins where I know what is right and don’t do it, those are fully mine to own and my repentance for those should be specific to the sin itself.

I am not perfect and will make mistakes and sin, however it is my responsibility to know what is right and take that action for Christ, regardless of the consequences. I know that there is pressure to follow along with society in the decisions that we make, and in some cases there may be pressure to follow the law of man. The thing is, society and man are not who I am living for. I live for Jesus and as such, my responsibility is to do what is right in the eyes of God and when that goes against the eyes of man, I will live with the consequences of man to know that I am doing right in the eyes of God.

What does right look like to you? Are you in the mode to please society and do what is right in the eyes of man? What if you just focused on getting it right by God and allow Him to take care of the rest?