Psalm 37:5-6

I'm a good person...well, that's my opinion.

Do you ever feel like the world owes you something for being a good person?  It's an insidious temptation. When we feel this way, our pride kicks in and then we become vulnerable to even more destructive choices...often we don't even see the problems we're causing until it's too late.  

Righteousness is allusive.  It's not enough just to be a good person.  Is it?   Even when we think we are right and good, there is always something missing.

Here's the real test.  Ask yourself, "Would you follow you?"

Any honest assessment of ourselves should yield a big, fat, humbling "NO" to that question.

So, what do you do?

Nothing!  That's what...

Well, I guess that's not exactly true, because to do nothing is still to do something.
And, this particular something can be the most difficult thing for some of us to do.
The Bible verse for today declares that something for us.  "Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him."   It is God who brings forth our righteousness.  Not us.  We are incapable of righteousness (a.k.a. perfection).  But, God fulfills all righteousness.  In the gospel according to Matthew, when Jesus is baptized he explains to John why he must be Baptized by him.  Jesus says, "to fulfill all righteousness".  It is Jesus' mission and call to fulfill all righteousness, and that is what he does. And he does it for us!  Because we can't.

None of us is perfect.  We need someone to follow.
Jesus invites us to follow him, and he will fulfill all righteousness for us.

So, who are you following?  At the feet of whom or what do you spend your time each day?
Maybe you're glued to the 24/7 news channels, where you receive a daily education in all that's wrong with the world.  Maybe you're surrounded by negative people who complain all day, and you've taken to participating just to fit in.  Maybe, you spend much of your free time with the mindless entertainment of social media and online games.  These are popular examples of ways in which we commit our lives to negative, purposeless things that drain us of the zest for life and leave us despondent in the end.

What if, just one hour of your usual free time activity each day was set aside for genuine development of yourself, possibly a Scripture-based devotion, or an exercise routine, or something...anything?  Don't you think you could stop following the direction of FOX or CNN for one hour to let God inspire your direction?  Don't you think you could ignore those negative friends, to hear the positive inspiration of the Holy Spirit in prayer?  Don't you think it would be much more edifying to you and your life if one hour of FB, or Candy Crush was given up to seeking a little instruction in life from a godly-inspired motivational book, or podcast?

The Psalm exhorts us to commit our way to the Lord and trust in Him.
I suppose, since you're reading this, you're already doing that.   Carry on...  :-)

Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of your grace.  Help me to follow you, and keep me encouraged to seek out your inspiring, positive guidance in Scripture, prayer, and the helpful words of others.  In Jesus' name.  Amen