Do Not Lack Courage

7 Jul

“To see what is right and not do it is a lack of courage.”  ~ Confucious

“I didn’t know.”  “I didn’t see.”  Those are the two most common things heard when someone does not do something that should have been done.  Somehow, they did not know what was happening or did not see or hear something that was going to happen.  And, sometime, that is, indeed, the correct answer.  The person or people saying that may have not known something needed to be done.

However, by and large, that is more of an excuse than an explanation.  People quite often see and hear something that needs to be done but fail to do anything about it.  They may know that someone is in dire need but are unwilling to involve themselves because it might incur trouble or even danger for them.  So, instead of coming to the aid of a person, they turn away and say, “I didn’t know, I didn’t see, If only I would have known.”

If he would hear that, Confucious would look at the person and say, “Coward.”

When we know that something needs to be done but refuse to do anything, we are, in fact, complicit with what is happening.  If we do not come to someone’s need, we are hurting that person.  If we do not step in to save someone’s life, we are contributing to their destruction.  If we do not stand up for someone being bullied, we earn the name “bully” ourselves.  “To see what is right and not do it is a lack of courage.”

We might be able to get away with saying, “I didn’t know” or “I didn’t see”, to someone here on earth.  However, when we come face-to-face with God, we will not be able to use that excuse.  He will look right through us and utter the word, “Liar”.  I don’t know about you; but, I would rather incur harm to myself by coming to someone’s aid and hear God say, “Well done”, than refrain from helping someone, thereby contributing to their harm, and having God call me out for it when I give Him an excuse.

FAITH ACTION:  Ask God to give you the courage that you need to do what is right.