It’s Hard Being a Do Right Christian in a Do-Wrong World…sounds like a bad blues song, doesn’t it?  This phrase came up in a recent conversation that I was having with a single male friend.  He wondered if I noticed that it seemed like those who do wrong seem to get further ahead than those who try to do the right thing.  After he made his statement/question, I had to agree that part of what he said was true. 

We went down the list of examples and it looked like there didn’t seem to be any incentives for doing right.  Think about it:  you cheat in sports using steroids…and you win a championship prize or become an all-star.  It seems like those who rely on old-fashioned hard work rarely are celebrated for their natural athletic ability.  We all know people (or for some of us...we may be the people) who have stretched the truth a little bit to get a job or job promotion.  And the person who was honest about not completing their degree is stuck in the mailroom.  

In the midst of our discussion, we cited example after example from our own lives and from those we knew who seemingly had escaped negative consequences for doing wrong.    Strangely, the more we talked about people doing wrong and getting away with it, we both concluded that in most instances, they ultimately “paid” for their transgression in some form.  If they didn’t repent for their wrongdoing some were fired their dream job and others were burdened with years of nagging, tormenting guilt about their past wrong doings. 

Tiger Woods is just one recent example of someone who seemed to get ahead doing wrong.    However, his secret sins were exposed and God’s truth remained:  there are always consequences to compromise.   Restoration and not humiliation is God’s promise when we repent.

 Our conversation never defined what right is but then naturally shifted to how we should do right.   For some it is the fear of bad reputation, bad credit or the fear of God that keeps us from doing things that we know are wrong even though it may look and feel right.  Could it be because some people are “nice” and just don’t have a mean bone in their body?  Cut someone off in traffic and you’ll find out how many mean bones they have and off-color words they can spout with a Shakespearean flourish. 

Proverbs 14:12-13 says “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. Even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end in grief.”  Doing right means that we focus not on others, our past or even our present mistakes, but that we take a great leap of faith and join God in our future. 

Shewanda Riley is the author of the Essence best-seller "Love Hangover:  Moving From Pain to Purpose After a Relationship Ends."  She can be reached at lovehangover@juno.com.