YOU NEED TO TRAIN YOURSELF TO KNOW RIGHT FROM WRONG AND TO DO THE RIGHT THING.

Bible Reading of the Day: Read Hebrews 5:12-14.

Verse of the Day: “The wise look ahead to see what is coming, but fools deceive themselves” (Proverbs 14:8).

“Sarah, you know better than that!”

Sarah’s older sister, Meghan, had just caught Sarah in a lie. Sarah had wanted to go to the store with Meghan and her friends. When Meghan had asked Sarah if her homework was done, Sarah had immediately answered yes. But when they had returned home, Sarah dug out her math book, and tried frantically to finish her home­work. Meghan caught her scribbling math problems.

“I know,” Sarah answered, “but I didn’t even think about it. I just wanted to go to the store with you. I knew you wouldn’t let me if you knew I had homework, and—”

“Sarah,” Meghan said, “you know that lying is wrong, and you know why it’s wrong.”

Sarah rolled her eyes. “Yeah, but come on, Meghan, you don’t expect me to stop and think about every little decision I make!”

“I sure do,” Meghan answered.

“Come on, Meghan! Get real!” Sarah protested. “You expect me to stop and think about every little choice and commit to doing the right thing? I’d never have time for anything else!”

“How long did it take you to tie your shoes this morning?” Meghan asked.

“I don’t know, five seconds, ten seconds. Why?”

“Did you stop and think about how to tie your shoes?”

“No,” Sarah answered. “I just did it.”

“Exactly! When you were younger, though, you had to stop and think about every step in tying your shoes. But now you know how to tie your shoes. It’s the same way with right and wrong, Sarah. You need to train yourself to know right from wrong and to do the right thing. The more you train yourself now, the more automatic it’ll be later on.”

Sarah stared at her shoestrings. Meghan was right. She remembered trying to learn to tie her shoes—it seemed like it took her forever to get it right. Now she never even thought about it, she just did it.

“OK,” Sarah said. “I guess you’re right.” She sighed. “I’m sorry. I’ll try to do better.”

Meghan smiled. “You’re forgiven. Now,” she said, “need any help with that homework?”

TO DO: The next time you tie your shoes, ask for God’s help in recognizing the difference between right and wrong. Then make plans to continue studying the Bible together as a family. This study time can help “train” you to automatically do what is right.

TO PRAY: “Lord, we want to be quick about obeying you. Thank you for increasing our ‘spiritual’ reflexes.”

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