Think About It

Have you noticed how easy it is to justify just about anything?  I have heard people explain away everything from lies to extramarital affairs to murder.  It may seem odd and it may not make sense to those around us, but if we are inclined to do so (and if we think hard enough about it) we can make sense out of any of our actions.  While being able to rationalize anything is possible, it doesn’t make it true.  Just because I have a “reason” for something doesn’t mean that it is right – either in the eyes of others or, even more importantly, in the mind of God.  The other day I came across a challenging reminder, “ All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but the Lord weighs the motives.  Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established.” (Proverbs 16:2-3).  Sure, we might be able to convince our friends, our followers – even a counselor, prosecutor or judge – that something is justified, but unless our actions and our motives are pure, God will still hold us