Our pastor says something rather frequently, intended to stick with us, which is, “Do the next right thing.” Terry and I wear bracelets/wristbands that say this very saying.
Do the next right thing.
When you are stuck and do not know what to do, do the next right thing. When you have a big, important decision to make, do the next right thing. When you are presented with an opportunity, do the next right thing.
Little by little, one by one, our actions and decisions (and words spoken) will turn into doing the next right thing, when we live by this motto. Doing the next right thing has nothing to do with “religion” and everything to do with Jesus.
In fact, doing what is considered to be “religious” is not always the right thing. I do not like “religious” as a description for me. Tell people I love Jesus, yes. But please do not tell them I am religious.
I was in a bible study once where one of the women had attended a bible college. This woman was “very religious” (she told us so) and she truly was a bible scholar. She knew scripture references, stories, meanings, and could be pretty intimidating. She was also kind of judgmental. When people would share prayer requests or talk about something bothering them, this woman had a “holier than thou” way of belittling people. “Well, if you had prayed about that person, you never would have dated them in the first place,” she would say to a girl who was going through a bad breakup. Or, “Well, you never should have invested your money with that company, anyway. You should know better. God warns us about this in His word.”
Yeah. Doesn’t make for a very welcoming environment for people to share, openly, and feel like they are not judged. This woman had a very compassionate, kind heart at times, but her “I’m holier than you are” attitude was so off putting, people began to shut down and did not want to share anything in her presence. She often spoke of the things she did in order to be a “better Christian.” But the way she openly judged others did not make people feel very loved, at all. And if you do not feel loved and accepted at your bible study, where will you feel truly loved and accepted?
“The Lord is more pleased when we do what is right and just than when we offer Him sacrifices.” - Proverbs 21:3 (NLT)
When we do what is right and just, Papa is far more pleased with us than when we offer Him sacrifices. Besides, if we have to announce what grand sacrifices we made … are they really sacrifices? It is nothing new for “religious” people to tout their goodness by rattling off the list of “religious” things they have done. But we are not called to be religious. We are called to love.
The more we love, the more we are doing what is right and just. And we know this pleases our Heavenly Father. So don’t worry about being religious. Just do the next right thing.