Means And Ends

Better is the poor who walks in his integrity than one who is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.

Proverbs 19:1

Through the ages, ethicists have debated the connection between means and ends: Can immoral actions be justified in order to achieve moral outcomes? Would a prisoner be justified in paying a bribe to get out of jail to try to save the life of his dying child? Does saving the life of the child justify dishonesty?

Fortunately, the Bible offers insight into this difficult question. When David, the new king of Israel, wanted to return the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, a man was killed by God for handling the Ark inappropriately. Earlier in the Ark’s history, seventy men died when someone removed the lid and looked inside the Ark (1 Samuel 6:19). Why the harsh treatment? Specifically, because Israel needed to regain a lost respect for—and fear of—God’s holiness. Generally, because God is as interested in how we do things as in what we do. From God’s perspective, the end doesn’t justify the means: wanting to do something good doesn’t excuse doing something bad.

If you are planning an action, look at the “how” as closely as the “what.” Make sure both bring honor to God.

It’s about the journey—mine and yours—and the lives we can touch, the legacy we can leave, and the world we can change for the better.

TONY DUNGY^a