DO THE NEXT RIGHT THING
“Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin.” James 4:17
Life is a series of choices. These choices are linked together over time to create our destiny. Therefore, to get where you would most want to be – the best place – you must do the next right thing.
What is the next right thing for you? No one can answer that for you. It may be to pay a bill on time. It may be to ask a friend for forgiveness. It may be a sin to confess and repent of. You might need to call a family member and tell them you love them. It may be to walk across the yard and have an intentional conversation with a neighbor. Or, it could simply be writing a “thank you” note. Your next right thing more than likely is totally different from everyone else’s. After all, it’s YOUR next right thing.
The key to doing the next right thing is the ability to hear the Father’s voice. What is He saying to you TODAY? Upon discerning that, do what you sense He is saying to you. The writer of Hebrews states, “Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts (Hebrews 4:7).”
Let these key questions be the driving force behind your daily decisions of the “next right thing” –
1) What is God saying?
2) What am I going to do about it?
Obedience is the key to doing the next right thing. It’s about faithfulness. It’s about consistency. To borrow a phrase from Eugene Peterson, doing the next right thing is often a “long obedience in the same direction.” The next right thing is rarely flashy. It’s seldom heralded or applauded. Most people won’t even know you did it.
We often are confused about the next right thing because we haven’t been obedient to the previous right thing. God will rarely lead us beyond our willingness to obey.
If we know the next right thing to do and do not do it, it is sin. Sin is simply disobeying what God says. Remember this – it is never too late to do the next right thing. Regardless of how mundane or boring it may seem, just do the next right thing.
- Why is it sometimes so hard to do the next right thing?
- What is your next right thing to do?
- What are you going to do about it?
This is such a great principle for our lives in general, but it is also a great principle for our marriages specifically.
In the same way, MARRIAGE is a series of choices. These choices are linked together over time to create our marital destiny. Therefore, to get the marriage you want - the BEST marriage - you must do the next right thing.
What is the next right thing you can do for your marriage? Ask the Father to show you how to invest in your marriage or what to do for your wife or what to say to your husband…and when you sense the Father’s direction, DO IT.
