The Thin Line

It’s so easy to cross the line between good and bad, right and wrong, truth and deception, because sometimes that line is so thin. We find ourselves in scenarios where we think, “It wouldn’t really hurt to tell a lie; after all, it’s just a little distortion of the truth.” Most times you see people get away with these “little” deceptions, so you feel, “Well it’s accepted, so no biggie.”

That’s where you are wrong. God is so jealous of his own that he never for one moment wants you to cross that line no matter how thin it is. That’s why it seems that the first time a good guy decides to do the wrong thing, he gets caught. Hilarious, isn’t it? But more than the fear of getting caught, I believe the motivation for doing the right thing is the chance of getting blessed. One of my favorite verses is Psalm 1 (NIV); it’s a reassurance that you can never get it wrong by doing the right thing. Actually, my entire life is a testimony to that.

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,² but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.³ That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.⁴ Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.⁶ For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

I absolutely love verse 6, which talks about how God watches over the way of the righteous—as though He walks in step with you so when you are about to take a wrong turn, He redirects you. It’s so easy in today’s world to ignore the thin line between right and wrong and just go with the norm or what society has deemed right.

If you are a Christian, then you must not forget that our actions are monitored by God and you won’t get away with wrongdoing that easily. So what do you base your decisions on? How do you act in those trying moments when you are alone and your morals are clouded by your needs? Do you walk in the way of the wicked or do you stand by His word and make that your guide?

The most reliable compass for life is God’s word—the Bible. So every time you find yourself trying to make a tough call, hold it up against God’s word, and you’ll find the strength to do the right thing. Remember, it’s not just about you but generations after you will benefit from your actions—Psalm 112:1–2 “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, Who delights greatly in His commandments.² His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed.”

So whatever you do, don’t cross that line.