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Key Bible Verses: So our aim is to please him always … For we must all stand before Christ to be judged (2 Corinthians 5:9–10). Bonus Reading: 2 Cor. 5:1–10

One evening I was leading a discussion among some students at Duke University on the issue of academic integrity. Most of the students agreed that they'd never think of cheating in the classroom. Some said that they were simply afraid they might get caught, and that fear was their main motivation for not cheating. Others recalled that the Ten Commandments say clearly, "You shall not steal"; and since cheating is a form of stealing, they didn't cheat.

One student said, "As a Christian, I'm trying to follow Jesus, trying each day to, as the song says, 'Follow Him more nearly, see Him more clearly, love Him more dearly.' I don't want to do anything that would disappoint Jesus or the incredible faith He's placed in me by calling me to follow Him. I don't cheat because I don't want to betray His trust in me."

That strikes me as a Christian view of morality at its most basic. A Christian's ethic arises out of his faith. Because God has so loved us in Christ, we want to do all we can to return that love through the way we live. Think of our good deeds as our songs of praise to Christ, our hymns of gratitude.

—William Willimon in The Survival Guide for Christians on Campus

My Response: Is my behavior dictated more by peer pressure, rules, or love?

Thought to Apply: Motives are invisible but they are the true test of character. —Alfred Montapert (writer)

Adapted from The Survival Guide for Christians on Campus (Howard, 2002) by permission.

Prayer for the Week

Lord, give me a goal big enough to be worthy of You, and love strong enough to stick with it.

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