That ugly word
What do you think of when you think of the righteousness? It seems for many the word is a turn-off. It is one of those god type words and it speaks of laws and regulations. The word is offensive because it somehow seeks to change us and our actions. It points out all our faults and failures and we don't want to come face to face with them.
But if one looks at the true meaning of the word it only speaks of things done in a right way as opposed to the wrong way. Yes, it does speak of laws and order but only from the stand point of how things function best. For instance, it is a righteous act for me to put gasoline in my car if I want to drive it and have it run properly. If I mix in a little water with my gas it is an unrighteous thing. My car may run but it will not run smoothly. It will sputter and maybe even die on me when what I really want is to accelerate.
The world is full of unrighteous things. It is full of people who sell us gas with a hiint of water in it; and for some it is far more than a hint. But the blame is not all on them as well either. There are many times when we choose to buy only the cheap gas instead of paying the full price for the pure stuff. We choose to settle for the cheap stuff because we are either too lazy to work for the good stuff or we want to spend our money on other things.
How many troubles do we encounter because we settled for the unrighteous instead of the righteous? How many heartaches do we suffer because we chose to go with what felt good instead of what was truly right?
I am not a righteous man. I have water down the gas to the point where I have ruined my engine. I have destroyed many things while seeking to have it all through only the feel good feelings. But I have also learned the beauty of discipline. I have come to understand the importance and benefits of righteousness. Yes, it is a God thing. But the reality is that it is a life thing also. Living takes place in righteousness while death is found in unrighteousness.
But if one looks at the true meaning of the word it only speaks of things done in a right way as opposed to the wrong way. Yes, it does speak of laws and order but only from the stand point of how things function best. For instance, it is a righteous act for me to put gasoline in my car if I want to drive it and have it run properly. If I mix in a little water with my gas it is an unrighteous thing. My car may run but it will not run smoothly. It will sputter and maybe even die on me when what I really want is to accelerate.
The world is full of unrighteous things. It is full of people who sell us gas with a hiint of water in it; and for some it is far more than a hint. But the blame is not all on them as well either. There are many times when we choose to buy only the cheap gas instead of paying the full price for the pure stuff. We choose to settle for the cheap stuff because we are either too lazy to work for the good stuff or we want to spend our money on other things.
How many troubles do we encounter because we settled for the unrighteous instead of the righteous? How many heartaches do we suffer because we chose to go with what felt good instead of what was truly right?
I am not a righteous man. I have water down the gas to the point where I have ruined my engine. I have destroyed many things while seeking to have it all through only the feel good feelings. But I have also learned the beauty of discipline. I have come to understand the importance and benefits of righteousness. Yes, it is a God thing. But the reality is that it is a life thing also. Living takes place in righteousness while death is found in unrighteousness.