Wise and godly people build their lives on the “rock.”  Foolish people build their lives on ever weak and shifting sand.  When things go awry in our lives, we wonder if godliness pays, especially when we strive to live as God would have us live.  We know what is right in our hearts through our study of Scripture, but situations arise in which we have thoughts about whether doing right always pays.

Righteousness is doing right.  Day after day, year after year.  This is how we build integrity.  Only those who live for the moment truly think godliness doesn’t pay, but in the end they find out otherwise.  As Scripture says:

“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not:  for it was founded upon a rock.  And everyone that heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man which built his house upon the sand:  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell:  and great was the fall of it.”       (Matthew 7:24-27)

So the question is, does godliness pay?  Yes.  It pays in this life and will pay at the final judgment.

“Religion is an appeal to common sense.  It comes to us and asks us to accept it based on self-interest, though it has other and higher grounds.  Will it pay?  It asks us to get our account books, to study the prices, to question the probabilities of profit and loss – what is gained and what is lost – and decide whether it will pay to buy it.

First, let us consider the question from the standpoint of this life.  Is godliness profitable for the present?  Does sin pay more?  Unquestionably, sin has turned some once-fine people into poor, wretched wrecks. It has cost them character, happiness, love, a father’s sleepless hours, a mother’s broken heart and broken dreams.  Did it pay?

“Good understanding giveth favour:  but the way of the transgressors is hard.  Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge:  but a fool layeth open his folly.”
(Proverbs 13:15-16)

How about godliness?  It is well established that it pays from a business standpoint.  It makes a person honest, industrious and earnest. And these are three of the highest qualities for temporal advancement.  Godliness enables a person to decide and be firm.  It gives him the conviction to say yes when he ought to say yes and the ability to say no when he ought to say no and mean it.  As a general rule, godly homes are more pleasant and constructive than those that are not.  Usually, the children are better fed, better protected, better trained and better loved.

It pays in joy and in peace of mind.

In the second place, it pays in the life to come.  There has to be another life to give sense to this one, or else the Creator’s work would end in failure.  Nothing permanent would be gained.”         ~ Leroy Brownlow

“There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.  He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour.”      Proverbs 21:20-21

Eileen Light