What happens if we do the right thing?

     
     Faced with decisions from waking until sleep we come up against all kinds of decisions that need to be made.  What to eat, how much coffee to drink (not a question), what to wear, what to do in our day, how to interact with that person we don't want to interact with, and on and on goes the list.  Some of the "right things" to do are the hardest things to do.  We face them as well as those "right things" that are easy.  The right thing is to love our family and that can fall into both camps.  We have relatives and are a relative that some may not get along with while others just love to have in their presence.  I fall into both.  However, the choice to love is way easier than the choice to hate.  At least that's the way it is supposed to be.  Loving is a difficult act when it means conflict, standing your ground or holding someone else accountable.  Sometimes we hate to love but still are faced with the reality of doing the right thing.  If we aren't able to do the right thing in our own strength, then we need to rely on Christ's strength to do the right thing regardless of the cost.  Since that's what he did for us, it's the least we can do for him. 
     There are many in the Christian world who hold on to toxic people who say they are Christian.  Letting go of toxic people is difficult and sometimes hurts very badly.  That's why the Bible tells us to not be unequally yoked.  Being in relationships with non-Christians is not what God had in mind.  Nor did he give us permission to attach ourselves to those who don't believe.  It doesn't mean we can't associate with them as friends, family and enemies; however, it does mean we need to keep our attachments with fellow Christian men and women.  The right choice is to love others regardless of whether they love Christ or not.  The right choice is to only attach ourselves in relationships with fellow Christians.  When the relationships move to a place where we are being pulled away from God, we need to consider doing the right thing.  What is that?  Choosing Christ over that person or that group.  It may mean leaving a church if it's toxic as well.  When our faith is called upon to be compromised, we face that right thing choice.  Can we make the right thing choice?  Sometimes we can't but Christ within us can.
     People come into our lives for a reason and a season.  Sometimes those reasons and seasons are part of God's plan for them and or us.  Sometimes those reasons and seasons are part of Satan's plan to keep our eyes off the author and finisher of our faith, Jesus.  Discernment is a necessary quality of the Christian who wants to remain true to Jesus.  It's important to note we are not necessarily talking about what is wrong or evil.  It's more important to keep our discerning ability in place to note when we are moving away from God.  Evil and wrong will always be around us on this earth.  The right thing is to keep away from them.  That's where the Christian has a misdirected focus.  Yes, we need to keep away from evil and wrong.  However, it's more important to keep our focus on Christ and his will in our lives.  Keeping our focus on Jesus, prayer, Bible reading and Christian fellowship automatically (if we truly do these right things) sets us in a place where we stay close to God.  It's been said that if we feel distant from God we need only look at ourselves to know who has moved. 
     Doing the right thing means keeping our minds, hearts and souls stayed on Jesus.  When this is a daily activity, we can't help but know Jesus in a deeper and more meaningful way.  This results in our relishing the love of God in such a way that we don't want to fall away.  We are so intent on seeing Jesus that we ignore the evil and wrong around us waiting to tear us down.  When I have eyes that ONLY see Jesus, I have a heart, mind and soul that choses to live in the love of God instead of outside of the love of God.  What happens when we do the right thing?  We live a life focused on Jesus and nothing else.  It's then that God gives us the desires of our heart because it's no longer our heart but His heart.  He gives us the desires of His heart.  His heart has nothing but pure love.  He wants us to have that.  We need only do the right thing.