How Can You Know What’s Right? Here’s What Jesus Thought

Have you ever had one of those moments when you weren’t sure what the “right” thing to do was?

Maybe a friend was being bullied, and you didn’t know whether to step in or stay quiet. Maybe someone you admire posted something online that didn’t feel right, and you weren’t sure whether to say anything. Or maybe you faced a decision - a relationship, a career choice, a moral gray area - and wished God would just write the answer in the sky.

We live in a world that constantly tells us what’s right. Politicians, celebrities, influencers, even algorithms try to define morality for us. But if we’re honest, it can all get confusing.

Who decides what’s right? How do we know what’s true? And what does Jesus actually say about it?

The video below from Bible Project forms the basis for much of the thoughts to follow.

Their insight helps us see that Jesus didn’t just teach morality, He redefined how we find it.

The Search for What’s Right

The Bible Project points out that in Jesus’ time, this question was just as complicated. Different religious groups had their own ideas of righteousness. Some thought being “right” meant strict rule-keeping. Others thought it meant purity or power.

Sound familiar? Not much has changed.

We do the same thing today. We measure what’s right by comparison: who’s better, who’s worse, who’s in or out. But Jesus turned the whole conversation upside down.

When people asked Him about what’s right, He didn’t hand out a checklist. He told stories. He asked questions. He talked about hearts.

In Matthew 5, He said:

“You have heard that it was said… but I say to you…” (Matthew 5:21–22, 43–44, ESV)

He didn’t cancel the old commands - He completed them. He was saying, “You’ve followed the letter of the law, but have you captured the heart of it?”

Think about it like a GPS. The rules are the road signs, but the heart is the destination. You can obey every traffic law and still be headed the wrong way. That’s what Jesus was trying to show: right living starts with right direction - a heart aligned with God’s.

Knowing God Before Knowing What’s Right

When we ask, “What’s right?” Jesus would have us start with “Who is right?” Because morality doesn’t begin with principles - it begins with a Person.

Micah 6:8 (ESV) puts it beautifully:

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

Doing justice, loving kindness, walking humbly - those are not behaviors we force; they’re characteristics that flow out of knowing God deeply.

A tree doesn’t have to strain to bear fruit: it just stays rooted. In the same way, when our roots go deep in God’s Word and love, doing what’s right becomes a natural outgrowth.

When we lose sight of God, though, we start deciding what’s right based on convenience or comfort. We justify small compromises. We excuse unkindness. We drift.

The truth is, we can’t consistently do right apart from the One who defines right. Our goal isn’t just to follow God’s rules: it’s to reflect God’s heart.

When Right Becomes About Being Right

If you’re like me, sometimes doing right gets tangled up with wanting to be right.

Maybe it’s a disagreement where we care more about winning the argument than healing the relationship. Or maybe it’s online debates where “truth” becomes a weapon instead of a bridge.

But Jesus modeled something radically different.

Philippians 2:5–8 (ESV) says:

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus… who humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Jesus was always right, but never self-righteous.

He didn’t use truth to shame people; He used it to save them. He didn’t crush those who were wrong; He restored them.

Think about the woman caught in adultery (John 8). The Pharisees wanted to prove they were right - Jesus wanted to make things right. He told her the truth, but He did it with grace: “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

Doing right isn’t about superiority; it’s about love. And sometimes the most righteous thing we can do is to choose humility over pride.

The Spirit’s Role in Our Decisions

Jesus didn’t leave us alone to figure this out. He promised us help - not a rulebook, but a Guide.

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” (John 16:13, ESV)

The Holy Spirit helps us see what’s right when the answer isn’t clear. He shapes our conscience, softens our pride, and reminds us of what Jesus said when the world is loud.

It’s a little like having a moral compass inside us - but one that’s constantly being calibrated by God’s Word and prayer.

Sometimes the Spirit’s guidance feels like a whisper: “Apologize first.” “Don’t send that text.” “Speak up for them.” “Let that go.”

Those moments aren’t coincidences. They’re invitations to align our heart with God’s.

When we rush through decisions, we climb ladders of assumption. When we pause and pray, we find the peace that comes from listening.

So Let Me Ask You (as I ask myself):

• Do I spend more time trying to be right or to do right?

• Am I letting God’s Word shape my sense of justice, mercy, and humility?

• When faced with a tough decision, do I pause to pray or react out of impulse?

• How often do I ask, “What would love require of me here?”

• Am I relying on the Spirit to guide my thoughts, or my own instincts and emotions?

A Closing Encouragement

Knowing what’s right isn’t always simple. Sometimes it feels like trying to see through fog, and it's blurry, uncertain, even frustrating. But here’s the hope: Jesus didn’t just show us what’s right, He became our righteousness. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

That means we don’t have to guess our way through life. The more we walk with Him, the more clearly we see. His Word lights our path. His Spirit corrects our steps. His grace keeps us from giving up when we fall short.

Right and wrong aren’t abstract concepts. They’re reflections of our relationship with Him. And when that relationship grows deeper, everything else starts to come into focus.

So the next time you face a tough decision, don’t just ask, “What’s right?” Ask, “Who is God calling me to be right now?”

Because that question always leads us back to Jesus, the One who is perfectly right, perfectly loving, and perfectly true.

Until the journey is complete,

Jonathan Pilgrim

P.S. Try this habit: before every big decision this week, take ten seconds to breathe, pray, and ask, “God, what’s the right next step?” Small pauses can lead to big wisdom. Clarity often comes in the quiet moments we give Him room to speak.