Right Thing, Wrong Reason

People refuse to sin for various reasons:

A man might refuse to have an affair simply because he might get caught. He's doing the right thing for fear of the consequences, not out of love for his wife or God.

A woman might give generously to charity simply to impress others.(1) 

Some people do the right thing only when others are watching, or they treat a friend fairly but cheat a stranger.(2)   

There are many reasons for doing the right thing, but Colossians 1:10-12 describes the best reason: We want to "live a life worthy of the Lord and please him" so we can bear fruit and grow in our knowledge of God, thus gaining strength, endurance, and power from Him.(3)  

"So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up." Galatians 6:9
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(1) Jesus speaks about this in Matthew 6:1. 
(2) Paul writes about this in Galatians 1:10.  
(3) We should be willing to do what's right even if we suffer for doing it (1 Peter 3:14). 

Bible Love Notes