Righteousness as a Way of Life

Righteousness is oftentimes referred to as uprightness which is having right standing before God and before people. It is commonly known as compliance to existing laws, rules, and regulations. It is an all-encompassing value as the performance of any other value can be deemed an act of righteousness.
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The value of righteousness is very relevant in this period of health and economic crisis. It is written in the Scripture that turning away from wicked ways is the condition of God for the healing of our land. It is undoubtedly the solution for the ongoing challenges, both by divine intervention and participation of humankind. This explains why there is a call for genuine repentance and a great clamor for good governance and responsible citizenship since the beginning of our existence as democratic country. History proves that unlawful undertakings in various fields of endeavor have greatly contributed to our nation’s economic decline. It naturally breeds all other problems in society.

To achieve righteousness, it is important to put our emphasis in the proper place. It is not on our human frailty but on our divine ability or capacity to live right. While it is true that we are vulnerable to temptation, we do not settle on such fact. Otherwise, we will always accept all forms of excuses, we remain weak as we are, and we will never progress. We should rather set our mind on our capacity to act and think right by being spiritual rather than carnal. According to ecclesiastical studies, we are not just created with human elements but also with a divine nature. This lies the teaching that we are created in the image and likeness of God. With this in view, righteousness is possible and this is where we should focus on.

Righteousness, thus, is the entrenched edict in all our walks of life. It is implied in the purposes of our Constitution – to build a just and humane society. It is the major aim and policy for the crafting of our laws, rules, and regulations. It is expected among all members of society, thereby, we are mandated to refrain from doing acts contrary to law, good morals, good customs, public policy, public order, public safety, and public interest. Finally, it is required to be observed in our relation with one another. It is codified that each one of us must, in the exercise of our rights and in the performance of our duties, we should act with justice, give everyone their due, and observe honesty and good faith.

We are blessed to have a nation that upholds righteousness and we should be proud of it. Moreover, it should be the mark of a true Filipino. If we have been abiding in our moral principles from time immemorial, we could have gone too far as a prosperous nation. But it is not yet too late to redeem the time to realize our dreams. Let us walk circumspectly taking into account the future of our beloved nation. ​(NAS, CRFV)