Do you sometimes wonder if you are doing the right thing? Have you felt conflicted? Are there times when your heart tells you to do one thing and your mind tells you something different? Would you like to know how you can determine what the right thing is?
Doing the right thing can be a challenge. It is especially hard when we are dealing with people who are trying to take advantage of us or who have wronged us. We may want to lash out at them. Then our hearts tell us that we shouldn’t. How can we determine what is right?
Jesus gives us the filter to use to determine what is right. When asked which commandment was the greatest, Jesus answered profoundly. We often shorten His response to “love God and love neighbor.” There is nothing wrong with shortening it to make it simpler to remember. However, we need to read the rest of what He said. Jesus said all the Law and the Prophets hand on those two commandments. Wow!
Therefore, if we filter everything we do by asking ourselves, “Does this demonstrate our love for God?” and “Does this demonstrate love for our neighbor?”, we can determine whether it is right or not. Simple, right? Oh, no. Well, it might be simple, but it is not easy to do. Our personal feeling start popping up and we do not want to activate this filter. However, if we are going to follow Jesus to the best of our ability, we must discipline ourselves to use this filter.
Jesus didn’t tell us this to make someone else’s life easier or to allow someone else to get away with something. No, He is the ultimate judge. He will determine everyone’s guilt or innocence. Jesus told us this to make our lives easier. It keeps us from living with guilt or remorse. It keeps us from making big mistakes. It allows us to live with a clear conscience. Jesus tells us to use this filter for our own good.
I pray we all listen to and obey Jesus’ commands. I pray we understand these two commandments are for our good. I pray each one of us will enact this filter every day of our lives. Listen to Jesus. Obey Jesus. Understand His commands. Enact Jesus’ filter in every situation.
Matthew 22:37-40 He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
