But it seems right!
"There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death" (NIV) Proverbs 14:12
Many choices in life seem harmless or even good, but when measured against God’s standard, they may lead us far from Him.
A wealthy man in the New Testament believed he had done everything right. He followed the commandments and lived a moral life. Yet when Jesus told him to sell his possessions and follow Him, he walked away sorrowful (Matthew 19:16-22). What seemed right—his wealth and self-righteousness—was actually keeping him from God’s kingdom.
Again, Saul believed offering a sacrifice instead of obeying God’s command was right. However, his disobedience cost him the kingdom (1 Samuel 15:22-23). Similarly, Adam and Eve ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thinking it would make them wise, yet it led to their downfall (Genesis 2:16-17, 3:6-7). Human reasoning is unreliable when it contradicts God’s Word.
Choosing God’s way isn’t always easy. Daniel refused to defile himself with the king’s food (Daniel 1:8), and he later faced the lions for his faithfulness (Daniel 6:16). But in the end, God honored his obedience.What seems right to us or to the world may be dangerous to the soul. True wisdom is in trusting God’s Word above our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Though doing right may bring us stress, the prize is worth the test of life (Galatians 6:9). May we choose what’s true and right, not just what appears in sight and seems right.