Do the right thing for the right reasons

Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. 1 Peter 2:13-15

I've had several thoughts on my heart this past week. One is about doing what is right. I was driving down a country road and thinking about speeding - not that I was contemplating the act of it, just the concept in general. I checked to make sure I was under the speed limit and then asked why I cared at that moment. I typically do not have any qualms about going a bit over the limit. I like to drive fast.

Then I saw a sign listing the fines and consequences for speeding in a construction zone: $7000 plus 15 years (max) for killing a worker in a construction zone. I realize that the sign is in place to warn drivers of the consequences of breaking the speed limit law. But I can't help but wonder how many obey the law because they are afraid to get caught and how many obey because it is what is right?

In Romans 13:1-2, Paul tells us Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.

Let’s see how The Message translate this scripture: Be a good citizen. All governments are under God. Insofar as there is peace and order, it's God's order. So live responsibly as a citizen. If you're irresponsible to the state, then you're irresponsible with God, and God will hold you responsible. Duly constituted authorities are only a threat if you're trying to get by with something. Decent citizens should have nothing to fear.

Speeding is a sin – Romans 13 shows us this. I must do what is right simply because it is God’s command. I understand the concept of doing the right thing. What I am trying to understand is if there are no consequences, would we still do what is right? The ultimate punishment is banishment to the lake of fire for eternity. Clearly I will do everything to avoid THAT punishment. But this opens up an entirely separate argument: even with consequences in place, people still choose to disobey the law. And some get caught!

It seems that we need consequences - disciplines - in order to do what is right. I don't want to be the person who "does the right thing because it's what we do." Nor do I want to "do what is right because I'm afraid of getting caught and being punished if I do something wrong."

I'm just going to put it out there - I want to do what is right because it is the right thing to do. I believe we all should strive for this mindset. We must remember that all sins are equal to God - there are no "little things." I pray the Lord helps me remember Solomon’s wise words: Doing wrong is fun for a fool, but living wisely brings pleasure to the sensible. (Proverbs 10:23 - NLT).