We’re often content to live and let live – to let everyone do whatever seems right in their own eyes. And certainly there’s a place to respect each other’s freedom of choice. But we still have a moral responsibility to teach and show others how to live according to the standards of God.
To be sure, it’s not our place to force others to adopt our way of life. This is not the example we’ve learned from God. Even though he’s powerful enough to force our compliance, he has given us the freedom to either follow him or not.
But this freedom doesn’t mean he’s indifferent to the choices we make. He wants us to choose life and does everything he can to influence our choice in this direction.
And this is similar to the moral responsibility we have to others as well.
Our job is not to be the moral police and enforce compliance. But it is to model, teach, and remind others of the better way.
This can start by simply being a model and standing in for God’s voice of truth, his hands of goodness, and a reflection of his divine beauty in the world.
And similar to dad school for our children, we can also be intentional about teaching others the wisdom of God.
For some, this will be completely new insights and approaches to life. And for many others it will simply serve as a reminder of the bedrock truths they already knew but forgot.
Whatever it looks like, we have the responsibility to influence the moral thought and character of others.
This is not for them to adopt our personal preferences and choices in life. But it’s to consider deeply who God has called us to be and to consistently move ourselves toward his standard.
We allow our homes and communities to become morally bankrupt when we neglect our responsibility here as salt and light.
In the end, bring more life and goodness into the world by accepting your moral responsibility to model and teach others how to live the truly good life.
Photo by Mohamed Nohassi on Unsplash
