We have all been taught that we should always do the right thing. It sounds very simple and most of the time it is. We have been taught to treat others with respect, not to tell lies, not to use bad language, and to take care of the people we love and ourselves. However, there are times when doing the right thing is hard. Sometimes doing the right thing will make us uncomfortable. It is not that we do not want to do the right thing, but there are times when doing the right thing is scary. We all have had to do things that we would rather not do. Just thinking about having to do it makes us nervous. We feel sick to our stomachs and we are scared. As we are preparing to do the right thing, we feel as though we have lead in our feet. Moving becomes difficult, and we want to turn the other way and run. God has given all of us free will. He wants us to do the right thing and places the right thing in our hearts, but He is not going to force us to do anything.

Often we avoid these situations, and sometimes we are so scared that we do not do them. When this happens we feel bad about ourselves. We feel that we let ourselves down. More importantly, we feel as if we let God down. God is never really disappointed in us. He knows from the start what we are going to do, but if we do not do what He asks us to do, we will be forced to repeat it over and over again until we do it.

There was a time in my life when I was in a situation where I knew that there was something that I had to do, but I was petrified about actually doing it. I dreaded the event during the weeks that were leading up to it. I prayed about it daily and had other people pray about it too. I knew that I was doing the right thing, but it did not make it any easier. On the morning when the event was to take place, I awoke feeling nervous and scared. Everything in me told me not to do it, everything that is except God. I truly wanted to run the other way. I knew that once I did this, my life would never be the same again, but God kept whispering in my ear, “You are doing the right thing.” All day leading up to the time when I had to do the right thing, I kept hoping God would put the breaks on the operation. He did not and thankfully He gave me the courage to invoke the plan. I was so scared, and it was truly the hardest thing I have ever had to do, but I did it and it truly saved my life.

From the moment I did it, up until right now, my life began to change for the better. My relationships with the people I love were strengthened, my courage was renewed, and my walk with God grew stronger and deeper. When we are asked to do something that is hard, we have to do it. God will give us the strength and courage. He will wrap us in His peace and keep propelling us forward. Once we conquer this fear and realize that it has made our lives better, it will make the next challenge we face a little easier. It will also strengthen our faith in God, and we will realize that without Him we can never truly do all the right things.

So, keep going forward, keep doing the right thing even if it is hard. Keep following God and let Him guide your steps. He may lead us into situations that are difficult, but He will not leave us during those times. In fact, He will pick us up and carry us to the other side. When we get to the other side, the peace and hope that will fill our lives will be so worth all the nervousness and fear we had when we set out to do the right thing. Truly trying to always do the right thing will bring more peace into our lives and PEACE MATTERS!

~Dan~