Your story: The one who does the right thing - 11 April 2024

Daniel, one of the chief officials in King Darius’ palace, was clever. He worked hard and always did what was right. However, he was thrown into the lion’s den because he did the right thing and continued to pray to God, when a law required that all the people should pray to the king. Still, he walked out of there unharmed.

Doing the right thing is not always easy. We are people with feelings and emotions, which sometimes get the better of us. Sometimes, we make assumptions based on half of the information, sometimes we act out of selfishness. Isn’t that right?

Daniel continued to do the right thing even when it threatened his life. This could not have been easy.

Sometimes, doing the right thing is easy, but let’s face it, there are times when doing the right thing can be damn hard. It is also not always fun to do the right thing. It might mean you have to be honest about something that someone else does not want to hear. This may mean that you sometimes have to put aside your emotions or your own needs. It may even mean that you can never state your side of the story, but you can only hope that your actions bear witness to your character. You may have to stand up to someone who is behaving unfairly. This may mean that you have to be patient when you are disheartened.

There are many scenarios where the right thing can be difficult. However, I have often experienced that things fall into place if one does the right thing – if you behave correctly towards other people, when you do the things that God expects of you.

When you do the right thing, as Daniel also did at the time, you will feel light-hearted. And then, life simply feels better.

Prayer: Dear Lord, it is not always easy to do the right thing. Sometimes, it is hard to do the right thing, because I am just too angry, too sad or too fed up. Help me; give me the strength to do the right thing. Amen