People make all kinds of choices each day. Some are good choices some are bad. Many blame bad choices on others, but each person from whatever background can do what is right.

It can be seen in the news each evening not everyone makes use of their opportunities. Some decide to do wrong and forget right. Such choices can lead to destruction, physically and spiritually.

Society wants to blame bad choices on the things around the individual. In some cases, this might be true. Most of the time the individual decides to do whatever it is they are going to do because they decide to do those things.

God’s word tells of Daniel who was not in the best situation a person could want to be in.

When first mentioned, he is a slave who has been taken from his homeland by a ruthless nation. Babylon attacked the city of Jerusalem on three different occasions and took many of the people captive.

In Daniel chapter one, which was during the third year of Jehoiakim’s reign, Daniel and others were taken captive. From the text it is believed by most that Daniel was made a eunuch for service in the kingdom of Babylon (Daniel 1).

Think of his situation – taken from his homeland and family, enduring the life of a slave. Yet in all that happened, Daniel was determined to do what was right in God’s sight.

When he and the others arrived in Babylon, he was placed in a type of training program.

He as well as some others were considered to work in the kingdom of Babylon. They were given certain privileges, one of which was special food from the king.

Daniel being Jewish knew he was not to eat those foods. Most in his place would have gone along with the crowd and not made any fuss, but Daniel was determined to do right.

He made an agreement with those in his charge to not eat the king’s food but to eat pulse and water and not to violate the Jewish law concerning food. His determination to do right brought great blessing to him from God.

Today many hardships can face a person. It is so important that one have a determination to do right, no matter what comes their way. In order to do what is right a person must know what is right. The place to go to find out this is the Bible.

God, from the time he began dealing with man, has desired two things. First, that man have a right relationship with him, and second, that man have a right relationship with man.

If the Ten Commandments are looked at closely it is found that the first four deal with man’s relationship with God and the last six have to do with man dealing with man.

When the New Testament – under which man lives today – is studied, one will find that this line of thought is carried over today.

Jesus said, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:30, 31).

So back to the question, “What is right?” Obey God according to his terms given in his word. Treat your fellow man as you would want to be treated.

God’s word tells us how to be pleasing to God: obey the gospel by having faith, repenting of sins, confessing before men that Jesus is the Son of God, being baptized for the remission of sins and living for God.

If one will do these things, they will accomplish the second thing (treating others as we would be treated) in living faithfully to God.