Good Intentions Aren’t Obedience

11/12/2026

Have you ever known you should do something, but you just didn’t do it?

Maybe you felt you needed to call someone, help someone who was struggling, or forgive someone who had hurt you. You had every intention of doing it, but life got busy, something else came up, and before you knew it, the opportunity had passed.

We’ve all been there. I certainly have.

But here’s something we don’t always like to think about. What if failing to do what we know is right is just as much a sin as doing something we know is wrong?

Well, that’s exactly what James challenges us to consider.

“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”
- James 4:17 (ESV)

We Christians can be pretty good at knowing what the Bible says. We attend church, listen to sermons, participate in Bible studies, and sometimes even memorize Scripture. But here’s a question we ought to ask ourselves: Are we actually doing what God’s Word tells us to do?

James makes a statement that should cause every one of us to examine our lives. Sin isn’t always about the bad things we do. Sometimes it’s about the good things we know we should do but choose not to.

Let me share something that happened to me just a couple of days ago.

I was driving back to my office when I noticed a man sitting beside the road. He had what appeared to be everything he owned sitting there with him. He wasn’t holding a sign asking for money, food, or gas. He was just sitting there.

And I felt that familiar tug on my heart. I believed the Holy Spirit was telling me to stop.

But I didn’t. I drove right past him and went to my office.

The next morning, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had missed an opportunity to bless someone. So I told God, “If he’s still there today, or if I see him again, I’ll stop.”

Well, wouldn’t you know it? That evening, as I was driving home, there he was!

Now, here’s where the story gets a little embarrassing. I was running late. We had people coming to our house for dinner to celebrate the completion of a Bible study, and I needed to get home.

So what did I do?

I drove right past him. Again!

I hadn’t even gone a quarter of a mile when I felt that conviction. Not simply guilt or shame, but the realization that I had just done the very thing I told God I wouldn’t do.

So I turned around.

Before I reached him, I opened my wallet and took out what I believed God was leading me to give.

I walked up to him and said, “Hi, my name’s Jeff. What’s yours?”

He just looked at me and smiled.

I asked him if he knew Jesus, and he shook his head. I wasn’t sure what he meant by that, so I simply told him, “Well, God loves you, and He wanted me to give this to you. I was supposed to do it yesterday, but I drove right by.”

He shook my hand, thanked me, and lowered his head. I could tell he wasn’t interested in much conversation, so I prayed for him briefly and left.

There was no dramatic ending. I didn’t learn his name. I don’t know his circumstances, and I don’t know what happened after I drove away.

But I do know something. I finally did what I believed God had placed on my heart.

And that brings me back to James 4:17.

Now, when we look at this verse in context, James is actually addressing people who make plans for their lives without considering God’s will. They assume they’ll have tomorrow to accomplish everything they want to do, but James reminds them that life is uncertain and that we should always seek God’s will.

Then he makes this powerful statement about knowing what is right and failing to do it.

I think one of the problems in American Christianity is that we’ve become so comfortable talking about being saved that we sometimes forget what genuine salvation should produce in our lives.

We hear the phrase “once saved, always saved,” and some people seem to take that as permission to live however they want.

But genuine salvation changes us.

Now don’t misunderstand me. We aren’t saved by our good works. We’re saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:8–10 makes that clear. But that same passage reminds us that we were created in Christ Jesus for good works.

When someone truly comes to know Jesus, there should be evidence of that relationship. Not perfection. Not a life without mistakes or sin. But a life that’s being changed by the Holy Spirit.

James tells us in James 1:22 to be doers of the Word, not hearers only.

And sometimes being a doer means stopping when we’re in a hurry. Sometimes it means forgiving someone who hurt us. Sometimes it means picking up the phone.

How many times have we run into someone at the grocery store and said, “I’ve been meaning to call you”?

Well, if we’ve really been meaning to call them, why haven’t we?

I’ve been guilty of that myself.

That’s why I’ve tried to develop a habit. When God puts someone on my heart, I send them a text or pick up the phone right then. I don’t always get it right, but I’m learning that good intentions don’t accomplish much if I never act on them.

Here’s what I learned from my encounter with that man beside the road.

God didn’t ask me to change his entire life. I didn’t need to know his story or see some remarkable outcome. I simply needed to be obedient to what I believed God was asking me to do.

And thankfully, in this situation, God gave me another opportunity.

But what if He hadn’t?

We aren’t promised a second opportunity to do what we know is right.

And there’s one more thing I want you to understand. This isn’t about giving money. Sometimes obedience means giving financially, but other times it means giving our time, offering encouragement, extending forgiveness, or simply being present for someone who needs us.

The point isn’t what we give. The point is whether we’re willing to obey.

Action Steps

1. Listen for God’s prompting. Pay attention when someone comes to mind or you recognize an opportunity to do something good. Take a moment to pray and ask God for wisdom and discernment. Sometimes the Holy Spirit’s prompting is quiet, but that doesn’t mean we should ignore it.
2. Stop making excuses. We can always find a reason why now isn’t a convenient time. We’re too busy, too tired, or have something else to do. Believe me, I know! But when we recognize what God is asking us to do, we shouldn’t allow convenience to determine our obedience.
3. Turn good intentions into action. Is there someone you’ve been meaning to call? Someone you need to forgive? Someone you could encourage or help? Don’t just think about it. Do something about it today. Send that text, make that phone call, or take that first step.
4. Leave the results to God. You may never know how your obedience affects someone else’s life. That’s okay. Our responsibility is to be faithful with what God places before us. The outcome belongs to Him.

Today’s Challenge

I want you to think about something you’ve been meaning to do but haven’t done yet.

Maybe it’s calling someone you haven’t spoken to in a while. Maybe it’s helping someone you know is struggling. Maybe it’s having a conversation you’ve been avoiding or forgiving someone who has hurt you.

Whatever it is, if you know it’s the right thing to do, stop putting it off.

Do it today.

Don’t let another opportunity pass because you’re too busy, too distracted, or waiting for a more convenient time.

Remember, good intentions aren’t obedience.

And while God graciously gives us second chances, we shouldn’t take those opportunities for granted.

You may never see what God does with your obedience, but you can trust Him with the outcome.

Let’s Pray

Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times I’ve known what was right but chose not to do it. Forgive me for allowing my schedule, my comfort, and my own priorities to get in the way of what You were placing on my heart.

Lord, I don’t want to be someone who simply knows Your Word. I want to be someone who lives it. Help me recognize the opportunities You place before me and give me the courage to act when I know what is right.

Father, I also thank You for Your grace. Thank You that when I fall short, You don’t give up on me. Help me learn from those moments instead of repeating them. And when You place someone on my heart, help me respond with love rather than excuses.

Remind me that I don’t have to see the results of my obedience to know that You are at work. Help me trust You with the outcome and be faithful with the opportunities You give me today.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Pastor Jeff

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