| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “Fully alive” Our Bible verse for today: “And the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you distressed and why is your face fallen? Surely, if you do right, there is uplift. But if you do not do right, sin crouches at the door, its urge is toward you, yet you can be its master.” Genesis 4:6-7 (JPS) (Jewish Publication Society Translation) Our thought for today: “Do the right thing for the right reason” The brothers Cain and Abel both brought a gift to God. Cain was evidently half-heartedly going through the motions because he knew that making an offering to God was the right thing to do. But Abel gave his offering from his heart. God rejected Cain’s offering but accepted Abel’s. In Genesis 4:6-7 we read that Cain was upset because he didn’t get a good response to his half-hearted offering. But God said, “If you do what is right (for the right reason), there is uplift (you will feel good about it). In his commentary on this passage, Dr. Dennis Prager notes that doing good (doing the right thing at the right time for the right reason) uplifts us. It makes us feel good because we know we did the right thing, and for the right reason. That then gives us a sense of satisfaction and fulfilment. Conversely, if you don’t do the right thing (either through wrong action or through the neglect of inaction), not only is that unrewarding and unfulfilling but, as the passage indicates, it leads to sin. If you haven’t made up your mind to do the right thing for the right reason, sin is lurking at your door, it is crouching there ready to draw you in. But you can avoid it. You can be the master of your choices and actions. Sin doesn’t have to win. You can choose to do the good and right thing, and for the right reasons. Not only is doing so morally right, but it will make you feel good. Doing the right thing for the right reason is its own reward. A big part of living a life that can be described as being “fully alive” involves having the strength of character that consistently leads us to do the right thing at the right time, and for the right reason. God Bless, Pastor Jim |
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I pray a lot to do the right things for the right reasons. The Lord is sovereign over even a man’s thoughts and words and a man’s scheming and planning. I was just reading that today in Proverbs 16.
Anyways, hope you have a great day today. May His blessings be upon you.
Thanks Donna. God bless you and your family.