Our True Moral Compass

Beware. This is one of my rare soapbox posts. But I just have to share my heart. I may be preaching to the choir, but perhaps some who really need to read these words will find them, pray about them, and seek God’s Truth for themselves.

I’ve often heard people say, “If it makes me happy, it must be okay.” In other words, happiness is their moral compass. If it feels good, it is good. If it hurts, leave it alone.

I’m sure the man who drank too much alcohol probably enjoyed the experience. He believed that alcohol was making him happy, so he drank up; then he got in his car to drive. He might even have been happy right up to the moment when he slammed his car into another, sending it spinning out of control and into the car one of my loved ones was driving at the time. That drunk driver may have been happy, but what he did was wrong.

Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt—this time. I praise God for that, and I hope with all my heart that this alcohol-drinking driver will listen to the gracious wake-up call he just received. I pray he’ll learn from the experience and never drive drunk again. And if he turns to God with a repentant heart, that will be even better still. This is now my prayer for him.

But back to my soapbox, I’m sure burglars who steal from others do so because they believe stealing will make them happy. They may be pleased with themselves, but that doesn’t excuse their actions. Stealing is wrong.

The terrorists who flew planes into our World Trade Center on 9-11 may have been happy about their choices, too. They were anticipating some glorious reward, which I’m certain they didn’t receive. Murder is wrong.

My point is: wrong is always wrong, regardless of how one feels. Using emotions to determine morality is like using a compass whose needle points a different direction every time. You can’t find the right path that way; emotions will just leave you lost.

That’s why Jesus has given us another compass—one that never changes and is always accurate. His Word, the Bible, shows us the only right way.

And if the size of the Bible overwhelms some, Jesus made it all so simple in Mark 12:30-31 when he said that there is no greater commandment than, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

If our actions show sincere, unselfish, 100% genuine love to God and to the people around us, our actions are going to be right. Be warned though: the most loving actions may, in truth, make us feel unhappy sometimes. In fact, in some cases, the most loving actions may make people around us unhappy. But feelings, because they can be deceitful, are irrelevant; our goal is to do what is right.

Paul also gave us a simple indicator when he said, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23). There is no law against these because actions that come from these show love to God and His beloved creation, humankind.

Happiness is nice, but it can’t tell us the difference between right and wrong. For that, we have to listen for God’s voice by reading His Word and obeying as Jesus taught and as the Holy Spirit leads. Ironically enough, when we do this, true happiness—the kind that comes from inner peace and joy—will find us. The other kind is a counterfeit that will leave us spinning around helplessly like the drunk driver I now pray for.

Lord, when we’re in doubt or feeling confused about what to do, draw us to seek clear direction from You. Thank You for Your Word, Your Son, Your Spirit, and the determination to always choose right over wrong—for the sake of Your Name and the glory of Your Kingdom. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.