Do the right thing.
I passed a church while traveling today. The sign out front said something like there is no way to do the "wrong thing" the "right" way.
It reminded me of when I taught karate several years ago. In my children's class I would often ask, "Why do we do the right thing?" The answer is simple... because it is the right thing. How do we know? Look at our intentions-- those deep beneath the action. Am I lying, deceiving, stealing? Am I "taking life" or giving life? Gosh, it seems so simple and yet so often we are left questioning.
If we have to ask there's probably a good chance that we are doing the wrong thing. Getting too much change back from the cashier? There is no question as to what is right and wrong. I recognize that through denial and fear we often can injure ourselves and others by attempting to do the "right" thing, but I am talking more about the basic matters of living.
I once had a boss who asked me, "Who can we screw today?" I eventually left the company. Just the thought of his question makes me sick. His justification and rationalization was that "it's just business." It wasn't; it was greed and/or fear. He thought it required "screwing" a client in order to get what he wanted. I recently learned that he had to resign. I guess life cathches-up.
The greatest power I possess is the power to choose. I pray for the strength and courage to choose the "right thing". When I do, I honor myself... I honor you... I honor God... and I am left with no shame. And for most of us, we don't need the weight of more shame-based living...
When I choose the "right thing" I am truly free.
I like being free.
7 Comments:
You are right...most of us don't need the load of more shame based living....I too like being free from this burden!
Yep, the right is very freeing. In some cases, the right thing can be painful. That's where I seem to be at the moment.
I had a boss who wanted me to lie for him. Ha. I quit too.
Bless you, brother Rick - it is as you said a delicate path of discernment to peel past sticky denial, codependency (a bit of a loaded term, I acknowledge), people-pleasing, self-justification and pure undiluted delusion to get to that 'still, small voice' of the Holy Spirit who whispers our rightness to us... when we are willing to listen. And yes, I agree with what you wrote... when we have to pause and ask, generally it's a 'danger' sign (meaning, 'look out!').... but for those of us in recovery, sometimes it takes a little longer to peel through the stickiness... and thanks be to God for God's patience in our lives.
me too.
i watched 'the corporation' documentary a couple months ago and was shocked to find out that corporations were created to have no soul - the business people needed to divest themselves of personhood and responsibility for their decisions and created the corporation because it can act without any responsibility our soul. it is totally unredeemable.
i highly recommend watching it - it was fascinating.
Thanks for that. Just found your site.
God bless
Maria
www.inhishands.co.uk
I like being free too... Haha. Praise God.
I think of one other point when you mention doing the right thing, and that is to avoid "reacting". So often we react without really thinking, and we do so based on fear, pain-avoidance, or instant-gratification.
It makes me think of this famous quote:
"Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space lies our freedom and power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and freedom" -- Victor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning
Thanks for your wonderful blog, and the bearing of your soul.
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