Do the Right Thing

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

On Wednesday of last week, according to a story recently published by Runner’s World, Clara Adams, a 14-year-old track star from Salinas, California, ran after a purse thief riding a BMX bike. The purse belonged to Nikki Gillott, a family friend attending the birthday party of David Adams, Clara’s father. Gillott screamed when she noticed her bag was missing, and Clara took off running toward the man. “I saw this guy with a bunch of stuff. When I looked, I saw (Gillott’s) purse,” Clara told The Mercury News. Clara, who ran the fourth fastest time in Monterey County history during last month’s 200-meter event at the Junior Olympics, was uniquely qualified to run down the stolen item. “I got into my 200-meter mood and ran toward him,” she said. “I just grabbed the purse from him and left…”  Clara says it felt instinctual to go after the stolen items. “It happened so fast,” she said. “It just seemed like the right thing to do.”

And you know, when it comes to doing the right thing, the Bible tells us that “whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it” is sinning. Which means that it’s not merely enough to know what the Word says, we must do what the Word says—something you can be sure only becomes instinctual when we are walking in the Spirit and are in close fellowship with the Father. This deep and dependent relationship is the only thing that gives us the wisdom, strength, and courage to do the right thing even when our flesh wants to do otherwise.  

So do your best to not only avoid evil but to do good my friend, knowing that God is honored when we walk in the Spirit rather than the flesh.  

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that it’s not enough to know Your will but we have to do Your will, even when it’s scary or we might face opposition. Give us a heart set on bringing You glory in all that we say and do that we might always seek to do the right thing. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!