II Samuel 4:11 “How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth?”
Life is not just about where you are heading; it also matters how you are getting there. In our world, there is a belief that the end justifies the means. In other words, if you have to do a bad thing to get to a good place, the bad thing is justified. That’s the natural way of thinking if you discount God. Our world promotes this thinking as the way to get your way. It’s always easier to do wrong when you claim a higher good!
While this thinking is certainly prevalent in the 21st century, it is not a new concept. David and the host of characters in II Samuel 4 were faced with bad means to a seemingly good end. Two men murdered Ishbosheth, Saul’s lame son, thinking that David would be pleased. They thought they had a good motive for doing something that was evil. They were expecting to be rewarded, but they didn’t get what they were thinking! David dealt severely with their sin and required them to pay with their own lives.
As Bible-believers, we must take God’s Word as the absolute authority and standard for life. Whether something is right or wrong is based on a fixed standard-God’s standard. If you try to do right in your own way, you will end up doing wrong in order to do right. Your flesh will always lead you astray, and your will has a bent toward doing wrong. The only way to accomplish God’s will is doing it God’s way.
Could God claim the actions you are taking today? Even as you go after God’s will, don’t fall into the trap of claiming a higher good for wrong actions. God can provide the means for the way you are going. God’s will and God’s way are both important and should never be put into conflict. Don’t be so compelled to force God’s will that you fail to complete it in God’s way. His will is worthy of His way!