Worth Doing Right

Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you. Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. (Isaiah 55:1-7 ESV). “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.” That’s one of the proverbs my dad taught me as I was growing up. Though I’m sure it was not original to him, it was a watchword that described his life and I hope describes mine. The February 1998 issue of Success magazine contains an excerpt from a story that the magazine printed 100 years ago. The article, "A single-minded Tom Edison," contains an interview with Thomas A. Edison, the great inventor. Here is part of the conversation Theodore Dreiser had with Edison: "Dreiser: 'What's the first requisite for success?'" "Edison: 'The ability to apply your physical and mental energies to one problem incessantly . . .'" "You do something all day long, don't you? If you get up at 7 and go to bed at 11, you have put in 16 good hours, and it is certain with most men that they have been doing something all the time. The only trouble is that they do it about a great many things, and I do it about one. If they applied it in one direction . . .they would succeed.'” In that short interview, Edison reveals the same principle my dad tried to teach me all those many years ago. The one requirement for achieving success is focus. Each person, regardless of race, sex or nationality, has needs deep down inside. Unfortunately, many of us fail to maintain a correct focus for meeting them. In our reading this morning, the prophet is asking the people why they settle for less than the best. You can buy many material things, but they are not what you really need. You can work hard for success and prestige, but they will not bring satisfaction. Real, eternal satisfaction is only obtained from God, as we listen to Him and digest His truths. Sounds good, right? The problem is that, if we listen to God at all, we listen to a little of His word on Sunday, and then try all kinds of other things during the week! Even with our spiritual lives, it is true. If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right! Focus on Him today!