When righteousness hurts
People usually don't like pain. We do a lot to avoid pain. Panadol for a headache, anaesthetic for surgery, protective headgear for cycling... it's usually good to avoid pain. But sometimes, it's not good to avoid it.
In Psalm 15 David asks "who is able to live in God's presence?" The answer is, as expected, the righteous. But being righteous, doing the right thing under God, is not always easy. And sometimes it hurts.
Psalm 15
1 Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain?
2The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart;
3whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others;
4who despises a vile person but honors those who fear the Lord; who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind;
5who lends money to the poor without interest; who does not accept a bribe against the innocent. Whoever does these things will never be shaken.
To live in the presence of God means that we live differently from the rest of the world.
We utter no slander. We speak the truth. We cast no slurs.
We do not charge interest to the poor. We do not accept bribes.
But the one that really stands out here for me is this in verse 4:
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
Sometimes it hurts to keep our word. Sometimes it causes pain to ourselves when we do the right thing. Sometimes we suffer when we do what is right. And we should not avoid this pain. Sometimes following Jesus hurts. David knew this. He failed again and again in his attempts to do the right thing under God, but he kept moving forward, seeking righteousness, seeking obedience to God.
In Matthew 6:33, Jesus says, in his sermon on the Mount:
Matthew 6:33
33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
We are not to worry about all the things in the world that we need. God will provide. We are called on to simply seek his righteousness. Seek to follow Christ in all things. Keep your oath even when it hurts. Do not avoid the pain of doing the right thing under God. And all you truly need will be given to you.
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Please help me to follow your path, even when it is painful. And when it does hurt to do the right thing, may I find my comfort, my stronghold, in you and in you alone.
I pray in the name of Jesus, the one who suffered on the cross for my sin, to give me his righteousness,
Amen.