“Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17).

Marcy felt absolutely horrible. As she sat at her kitchen table drinking a cup of coffee on that Saturday morning, she thought back on the events of yesterday at work. There in the lunch room several of the employees had been gossiping about a manager in their department. Several slanderous statements were made while others laughed and agreed with the accusations. Marcy knew better. She wanted to speak up. She knew that the accusations were highly exaggerated and were designed only to hurt the manager. She also knew that she should say something. She is a Christian. Full well she knows that the Lord would not be pleased with her silence. As she finished her tuna fish sandwich she was determined to speak up. But just then one of the other employees said, “Well it’s time to get back to work,” and with that they were gone. Throughout the remainder of the afternoon she tried to catch up with several of the employees, but everyone was too busy to talk. Marcy remembered that verse in the book of James that reminds us that when we know what is right and we do not act upon that, it is sin. Marcy confessed that to the Lord and asked His forgiveness. She committed herself to setting things right and graciously confronting the rest of the coworkers on Monday at lunch. The same is true for us. When we know something is right and we do not do it, to us it is sin.

For today: We must remember that there are sins of action as well as sins of inaction!