How can I continually do what is right and also please the lord? I always find myself doing what i do not want to do, and it is killing me. Please help me.
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I understand what you're asking... how to do the right thing when the
wrong thing is easier. There is no magic thought or deed that can force
you to do right, because God has endowed you with free will which is
the freedom to choose between good and bad, right and wrong -- you're
just as free to choose either one. Since you want to do what is right
then you are already able to discern what is good/bad or right/wrong
and you're having difficulty making the choice to do the good thing.
You're fortunate, because some people seem unable to discern which is
which.
This is where character comes into play. Is your character
strong or weak? If it's weak then you have to begin to strengthen it
through making a series of simple/easy choices and stick with them; for
example... no chocolate for the rest of the week; no smoking or
drinking for the next 10 days, go to bed before 10pm this month, give
25 cents to every needy person you see for the next two weeks, no
swearing for 5 days... these kinds of simple decisions will require you
to concentrate on following through with your decision. As the simple
decisions become easier to stick to then the more difficult ones will
be come easier too.
If you already have a strong character and you're just not
making good choices it's because you're lazy. To improve on that use a
similar technique to the above but choose to do the kind of things that
combat laziness. You may also have to make some choices regarding who
your real friends and associates should be.
Basically, what you have to do is to strengthen your sense
of morality, your integrity, your virtue. The only gift you have to
give to God is your decision to do his will in your life.
Morality has its origin in self-consciousness. The physical
environment entails the battle for existence; social surroundings
necessitate ethical adjustments; moral situations require
making choices in the highest realms of reason.(5:5.1)
Limitations of intellect, curtailment of education,
deprivation of culture, impoverishment of social status, even
inferiority of the standards of morality resulting from the lack of
educational, cultural, and social advantages, cannot invalidate the
presence of the divine spirit in such unfortunate and handicapped but
believing individuals.(5:5.13)
Morality can never be advanced by law or by force. It is a
personal and freewill matter and must be disseminated by the contagion
of the contact of morally fragrant persons with those who are less
morally responsive, but who are also in some measure desirous of doing
the Father's will. (16:7.9)
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