There are always two sides to everything in life.
The positive and the negative. Good and bad. At every step of our life we have
choices and decisions to be made. We choose something over the other because of
certain reasons. We choose something over the other because the thing we chose
is better than the one we didn’t. We could choose to be good or to be bad. We
could choose the right way or the wrong one. It is again a matter of our
choice.
Morality is the differentiation of intentions,
decisions and actions between those that are good or right and those that are
bad or wrong. Morality defines what acceptable behaviour is and what isn’t. But
who decides what is right or wrong? And why should we live a life of morality?
Though it is the society that decides what is right
and wrong, the scriptures have been speaking of a life of morality from the
beginning of the world. Worldly values include wealth, power, pleasure,
revenge, fame, vanity and status. But these lead us away from God. The worldly
values are suitable for only those people who do not think about anything apart
from themselves. But we live for a purpose beyond just ourselves. We live our
lives with the hope that we will be remembered even after we are dead and we
die with the hope that we will rise again on the judgement day. And it is a
life of morality that makes us have this hope.
All of us are born with the desire to be happy
always. St. Augustine once said, “They want to be happy even living a life that
will not make them so”. Happiness means different things to different people.
And often it so happens that the things that make us happy may make others sad.
But of what good is the happiness if it is making others sad? Often the desire
to be right is opposed by the desire to be happy. And hence we are in a
constant search for something that is right and yet it makes us happy. The
answers to this and many questions are found in the Bible.
For us Christians the Bible is not just a basis of
our faith but it is also provides answers to many of queries. It is the Holy
Bible that helps us lead a life of morality. But what hinders us from obeying
what is written in the Bible is that often it is difficult for us to follow.
Another reason why we fail to follow the moral principles that are laid down in
the Bible is that we feel they are outdated as the Bible was written thousands
of years ago.
The basis for moral values has been laid in the Ten
Commandments that God gave Moses on the Mount Sinai. The Ten Commandments give
us an idea of the morals that one must have in one’s life. They outline how we
should live in accordance with the covenant that God made with his people. The
commandments teach us values such as honesty, commitment and respect. The
Commandments advise us against evils such as lying, stealing and committing
adultery. And yes though God gave the Ten Commandments thousands of years ago,
they are still relevant in our lives today.
In the Gospels, Jesus gives us two of the greatest
commandments which speak of love of God and of neighbour. It is our love for
God that makes us obey His commands. Jesus also gives us the Beatitudes which
tell us to lead a life of simplicity and humility. Throughout his life Jesus
taught us how live according to the will of God. His love and concern for the
people, his humility in washing the feet of his apostles though he was the son
of God are perfect examples for lives.
Mother Mary is the perfect model for us for leading
a life of morality. She accepted the will of God without any questions and
lived a life that was pleasing to God. She had to face a lot of problems in her
life but that didn’t make her leave her life of virtues. At every step in her
life she was there to help others. She ran to help Elizabeth once she knew that
she was pregnant. She pleaded with Jesus to perform a miracle at the wedding
feast of Cana. Her life was a virtuous one.
There are many other verses in the Bible that speak
of a life of morality. But as we can see today, the society that we live in has
become an immoral one. Crimes are on a rise. People don’t hesitate to kill or
hurt others. Telling lies has become another of daily activities. There is no
dearth of reports on murders, thefts, terrorism and rapes in the newspapers.
Who is to be blamed?
The boundary between what is right and wrong is
slowly fading away. What is right and wrong is decided by our convenience. We
tweak our moral standards a little thinking that it won’t make a big difference
but if each individual tweaks the moral standards according to his or her
convenience, what is immoral today may become moral tomorrow. If many people do
what is wrong that doesn’t make it right.
God has created us in His own image and likeness.
But to become like God we must live that moral and just. God instructs at every
step telling us what is right and wrong through our conscience and we must make
every effort to listen to it. It is easy to go on the wrong path but it is very
difficult to return to the right path once we lose the sight of what is right.
Though the right path may be full of trials and tribulations, God is always
there to aid us and guide. The journey on the path of right will ultimately
give us the rewards in due time. Are we patient enough to wait for it? So what
path are we going to choose? The one that is difficult but right or the one
that is easy and wrong?
Originally written for the Souvenir of the Silver Jubilee Celebration of my parish.
This post is for Day 29 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge.