Three hundred dollars! I found three hundred dollars in cash laying on the sidewalk on our morning walk. I won’t lie, I was pretty excited. We’re not broke, but in this economy, every little bit helps. That could pay for gas and groceries, but as a bibliophile, I could also buy a few books as well!
My husband said we ought to take it to the police department, just in case someone was missing it. I agreed, maybe a little reluctantly but I knew inside that was the right thing to do. A few streets over, we saw a town cop and flagged him down. He took the money and our info and we walked on, satisfied that we had done the right thing.
They say integrity is what you do when no one is watching. Proverbs 21:3 (NIV) says, “To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.” God is always watching and He is pleased when we do the right thing.
Turning in money seemed really easy. There was always the possibility that no one would claim it and the old “finders keepers” rule would come back in our favor! We just had to wait and be patient.
Turns out, we didn’t have to wait very long. That very afternoon, we crossed paths with the policeman at the local market and after exchanging pleasantries, he told us, “The money was actually counterfeit.”
Rats!
No finders keepers would be coming back our way. No extra cash for extra books. Bummer.
However, we knew we had still done the right thing. If it had been real, maybe the owner who needed it more could have been taken care of by its return. On the flip side, had we kept it and tried to spend it, we would have been guilty of passing counterfeit bills! Turning it in protected us from an even bigger and far worse problem.
You may not get such a fast turn-around when you do the right thing. In fact, you may never see the fruit that will grow because of your actions and choices. But since God is watching and is pleased when we do the right thing, I guarantee you will gain reward one day in heaven when He says, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:23)
Let us strive to do the right thing, even when there is no earthly reward. When we do, we live a life that pleases God. That in itself is the most valuable reward we can ever receive.
Blessings,
~Lynne
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