August, 2014
I have a strong sense of right and wrong, good and evil, virtue and vice but…what does that really mean?
Ethics are built on a moral belief in God as our creator and the forgiveness of our sins by the sacrifice of His son, Jesus – once and for all time. When you make choices in life, you are always faced with what is right and what is wrong in any given situation. How you respond will be the defining moment of your life. Knowing the right choice is something you learn from a foundation of belief and trust in God.
Temptations will always be a part of life but choosing the right way is instinctive if you have an ethical basis taught from a strong belief in God. If you are a child, it is the feeling that “Mother is watching me, I better not do that.” When we are faced with temptations, God always provides a way out. It is up to us to recognize it, chose it and live a life filled with good choices.
Today I see all around me a lack of any understanding of ethics, morality or belief in God. When people remove God as our guiding, moral compass, we rationalize behavior as, “anything goes; whatever I believe is OK; my behavior is justified because it is what I believe; there are no judgments” and on and on. What is good can only be recognized if you see and understand what evil really is, that is why ethics are based on morality.
I have lived my life based on moral, ethical choices even when it seemed OK to do that small thing: “The clerk didn’t charge me for this item, should I say something? After all, it doesn’t cost her anything.” Or how about, “That person dropped a coin, I can take it because it is just laying there.” Or, “No one is watching; they won’t miss this item; the company has lots of paper, etc.”
Ethics matter. Morality matters. My desire for you, my progeny, is that you find your Moral Compass and follow it for a rich, full, satisfying life. It is not trite to say: “GOD IS WATCHING YOU.”