Resources/Articles
The Reason For Doing Right
“Job…feared God, and turned away from evil.” – Job 1:1
There are several things we do because of fear. We buy insurance so an illness, accident, or death does not wipe our family out financially. We pay the rent so we will not be evicted. We drive the speed limit so we will not get a speeding ticket. We do not park in certain areas lest we return to find our car has been towed, because it does not have the proper decal. We even stay away from sin to avoid being punished by God. At least that is the way most people feel. I have heard some people say, “Why if I even thought about cheating on my husband, God would strike me dead before my husband had a chance!” Others have said, “If I stole so much as a piece of paper from the company I work for, God would take everything I own!”
Is fear of God a valid motive not to sin? It was for Job. God told Satan that Job’s fear of God kept him upright and away from sin. There is a definite connection between fear and living right. It is not the type of fear which is superstitious in thinking that God will immediately “zap” us the moment we do wrong. The fear of God is truly a deep respect and reverence for who God is, what God has done to provide us with a Savior, and instructions that will direct us toward a life of morality, peace, and joy and guide us toward a future home in heaven. It is a healthy fear, not only of sin’s painful consequences, but of sinning against the Holy One who loves us and on whom we depend for our very life.
Has the hurt and pain from an injury due to carelessness or reckless behavior caused you to promise to yourself not to ever do that again? Be thankful. A motivation for doing right is feeling the pain, guilt, and misery of what your sin has done to you and others. If your heart is sensitive to sin, be thankful. For many, sin has damaged the sensitivity of their heart to the point of being “past feeling” (Ephesians 4:17), a numbing effect. Darkness is as good as light to them. Why not consider the sensitive heart of David in Psalms 139:23,24: “Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts; And see if there be any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.”
Our motive for doing right will come from love (John 14:15). We will have no problem with listening and obeying God if our heart is centered on doing right. Why be so afraid of doing the right thing, when a proper love for God can lead us to do the right thing all the days of our lives? Keep your eyes on God. He never takes His eyes off you.
