Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. – 1 John 3:18
Do-Right
About a hundred years ago, maybe more, back when I was a kid, I used to watch a cartoon called Dudley Do-right. “Dudley Do-Right is a dim-witted, but conscientious and cheerful Canadian Mountie who is always trying to catch his nemesis, Snidely Whiplash, and rescue damsel in distress Nell Fenwick, his boss’s daughter, with whom Dudley is deeply infatuated.” – Wikipedia
I thought of Dudley this morning as I was praying. Hey, we all have our quirks! Anyway, as I was praying, I asked Jesus to help me to “do right and not sin against Him.” That’s when Dudley popped into my brain. But he got me thinking, as followers of Jesus, do we fear how others perceive us?
Don’t fear Dudley
We may not tell anyone that we fear how others perceive us. We may not even be aware that we suppress a fear of being a Goody Two-Shoes or a Dudley Do-Right. Pause a moment if you would. Ask yourself, “Am I afraid of being perceived as too-good or coming across as haughty?
I’ll answer for myself: There was a time when this fear was a daily battle for me. My heart condemned me. I represent Jesus to people. Is it right to be thought of as a do-gooder, a holier than thou person, a dim-witted, conscientious, cheerful, Dudley Do-Right?
Impress Jesus
So, let me save you a few decades of introspection; the only person we need to impress is Jesus. God’s Word in 1 John 3:19-20 says, “By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.“
From 1 John 3:19-20, we learn that we need to use our energy to pleased God and stay in the right relationship with Him. “The Word of God which acquits us must prevail over the word of our hearts that condemns us. (RSB Study Note)“
Be conspicuous
So, go ahead. Be a proud Dudley Do-Right, a conspicuous Goody Two-Shoes, a “foolish” do-gooder. These characteristics far exceed those of the chilled, witty children of the world.
Photo by Bryton Udy on Unsplash
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