Living Righteously

If you want to live a successful life you must live righteously. Righteousness simply means "the practice of right, or the doing of right." The wise man said, "Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people (Pr 14:34). The Psalmist declared: "Blessed is the nation whose God is Jehovah" (Ps 33:12). Our nation was founded on the principles of justice as revealed in the Bible. By design we have inscribed on our coins, "In God We Trust." Daniel Webster declared, "If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering. But if we or our posterity neglect its instructions and authority, no man can tell how suddenly a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all of our glory in profound obscurity." In the same way a nation becomes great by righteousness, and an individual succeeds through righteousness, so a nation may fall as well as an individual if they do not follow after righteousness. Sadly, our once great nation of righteousness, is swiftly heading down the road of unrighteousness as forces at work seek to eliminate God from influence at every fork of the road. When the apostle Paul gave directions to children to "obey your parents in the Lord," (Eph 6:1) there were many reasons that he could have given for so doing. But the reason he gave is found in the next verse: "for this is right" (Eph 6:1). People who live a life of righteousness (in dealings with others) are "the salt of the earth." They help to preserve our future as a nation. Righteous people are not righteous just because they seek some kind of a reward, but because, according to Jesus, it is the right way to live. Jesus said, "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do ye even unto them." This "golden rule" gives to us a pattern for true righteousness. A life of righteousness will be a successful life because it is a life that is lived unselfishly-a life based upon the principles of doing right because it is right.

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