Do the Right Thing
Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. – 1 Peter 4:1-3 NKJV.
Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. – 1 Peter 4:12-16 NKJV.
Five elementary school children are heroes in West Fargo, North Dakota. The kids were having a fun day with a water-gun fight armed with super soakers when they saw a fire on an apartment’s deck. These heroes immediately took action, letting the resident of the apartment know about the fire, who was unable to leave because of being on oxygen. The five children then began dousing the fire with their super soaker water guns. By the time the fire department arrived they had reduced the fire to just a smoldering mess. The West Fargo Fire Chief Daniel Fuller believes the kids saved the building from extensive damage and likely saved the life of the person living in the apartment. (Inforum 05.31.16)
Doing the right thing at the right time has always been a difference maker. Esther immediately comes to mind (Esther 4) as her Uncle Mordecai says to Esther, “who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Through Esther’s courageous action her people escaped extermination. The shepherd boy David saw the giant Goliath taunting the Hebrew army and could have kept on herding his father’s sheep. Instead, David faced death at the hands of the giant with only his slingshot and was victorious empowered by His God. Daniel and his friends faced death more than once by doing the right thing. They refused the king’s rich food, they refused to bow to idols, and God protected and blessed them. So, many of the heroes of the Bible are heroes of the faith; because they did the right thing at the right time, risking their lives to do so.
How can we have the courage to do the right thing at the right time? The apostle Peter tells us in 1 Peter 4:1, “Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind….” To do the right thing at the right time we must arm ourselves with the mind of Christ. How do we do that? To know what someone’s mind is like, so much so that we act as they would act, we have to spend time with them. To have the mind of Christ, we must spend time with Him through prayer, reading His Word, spending time with His people, and by following Him (Luke 9:23). Do you have the mind of Christ?