“One thing is for certain about you, Guido,” he said as he looked at my messy desk, “you don’t have OCD!”
“What do you mean, I don’t have OCD?” I asked.
“Well, if you had an obsessive-compulsive disorder you would be arranging and rearranging your desk to make it neat and orderly. Then you would do it over and over again. But, it’s not neat, never has been, and probably never will be. I’ll bet that your drawers are the same.”
Realizing that he was right, I decided not to argue with him. He was a psychologist, and I was embarrassed.
Many people do arrange and then rearrange things. Some people do things over and over again, and then again, to make sure that everything is perfect, or as close to perfect as it can be. They check and then recheck what they have already checked. Being around people who have habits like that make me feel guilty. They have to do things right!
But there is a vast difference between doing things right and doing the right things. We can waste an entire day arranging and then rearranging food in our homes while our neighbor goes hungry. Or, we may arrange and then rearrange our cramped closets when we know there are people who wear worn out, ragged clothing because they have no other choice. We may be doing things right but we are certainly not doing the right things.
Righteousness in God’s Word is a combination of both behaviors. Not only do we want to do things right - as He commands us to do in His Word - but we must do the right things that will please and honor Him, as we serve others in need – spiritually and morally.
Prayer: Help us, Father, to be aware of how we do “righteousness.” May our lives meet Your expectations. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Today's Bible Verse: For receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair. Proverbs 1:3