When Doing What’s Right in Your Own Eyes Fails

Dangers of Trusting Your Own Judgment

All too often we trust our own judgment above the Lord's. Scripture warns us how dangerous that can be. The Jews in Jeremiah 17 trusted in themselves instead of God. When we "do what is right in our own eyes", which means making choices without the guidance of God, our sinful decisions become etched on the tablet of our hearts (Jeremiah 17:1).

Sin Etched on the Heart

Tablets are made of stone, so to engrave on them requires something even harder—the iron pen with a diamond point. This writing doesn't go away on its own. But there is one who can remove it. Ezekiel 36:26 says God can remove our stony heart and replace it with one of flesh. With this new heart, we can be obedient to God and walk in his statutes. Our desire as Christians is that instead of stony tablets we are a letter from Christ, written on our hearts by the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:3).

Lifelong Regret: Remembering Sin

However, If anyone has ever failed and done something terrible in their life, they will remember it. They may remember that sin with great regret or they may look back longingly, on it but it will be there in their memory, as Jeremiah 17:1 says, "The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron; with the point of a diamond it is engraved on the tablet of their heart..." That is part of the tragedy of doing what is right in your own eyes.

Idolatry of Judah

Because of the idolatry of Judah, they are told they will be taken into a far country. The Lord is angry with them. They have abandoned Him. The Lord then pronounces a blessing and a curse (Jeremiah 17:6-8).

Jeremiah 17:6–8 Blessing and Curse Explained

The curse is on those who put their trust in man and the blessing is on those who trust in God. When man does "what is right in his own eyes," their trust is in themselves or others, but we are to trust in God and do what is right and good, "so all will go well with you." (Deuteronomy 6:18).

The cursed man is like a barren, fruitless tree while the blessed man is compared to a productive tree, planted by waters, and neither anxious nor afraid. Putting our trust in other men is foolishness because as Jeremiah reminds us, "The heart is deceitful above all things,

And desperately wicked; who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9).

The Lord looks at the heart and knows us like only He can. Even as Christians, our own heart is not to be trusted unless it is set firmly on God. Proverbs 21:2 explains, "Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts." We like to believe that what we are doing is right, but God sees the truth in our hearts even if we can't.

The Deceitful Heart Warning - Isaiah 5:20

How do we know this? Because wicked men who trust in themselves call good evil, and evil good (Isaiah 5:20). They are deceived by sin. Even believers need to examine their hearts (2 Corinthians 13:5). Don't think yourself too wise because worldly wisdom is foolishness (1 Corinthians 3:18).

When Doing What’s Right in Your Own Eyes Fails

When we do what is right in our own eyes, we trust ourselves to make good decisions. We believe our way is the best. We rarely seek advice and rarely ask God what He wants us to do. When doing what’s right in your own eyes fails, there are often painful consequences. The Lord tells us what happens when we do this.

In Proverbs 14:12, we are told that doing what is right in our own eyes leads to death. Proverbs 12:15 tells us, "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes." Isaiah 5:21 says "Woe" to people who are this way.

In Proverbs 3:5-6, we are told not to lean on our own understanding, but to trust and acknowledge God. If we do, it is He who will guide us. How many decisions have we made without ever seeking to know God's will in the matter? Even when we seek God's will, do we really mean it? Do we decide God's will is our will, no matter what?

Gideon’s Trust Test: Obeying God Against Odds

It is hard to trust God sometimes. Look at the story of Gideon in Judges 6. Gideon, a mighty man of valor, had gathered an enormous army to crush the Midianites, but God told him to reduce it to 300. Then God said to make noise to scare the enemy. Confused and frightened, they fell upon each other. Gideon's tiny army defeated the Midianite army of 135,000 men. God's way seems to make no sense to us at times. Yet, if Gideon had done what was right in his own eyes, his army would have been defeated.

Joseph’s Rise: God Uses the Unlikely

God often picks people to accomplish His will that don't seem up to the task. They probably aren't—at least not without God. Look at the story of Joseph in Genesis. Joseph was the youngest in a large family. His brothers hated him and certainly didn't believe he would grow up to be a great leader. But Joseph trusted God's way and in turn was blessed to become a powerful man in Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. God's way brings fulfillment and a sense of peace.

David’s Worship: Responding Rightly

When David learned of his son Absalom's rebellion against him, whose way did David choose—God's or what he thought was right? 2 Samuel 15:31-32 says that the very first things David did were to pray and worship God. If David had chosen his own way, he probably would have gotten angry or perhaps depressed, but no, David chose God's way.

Jesus Seeks His Father's Will

Jesus teaches us to have total dependence on God. John 5:30 in part reads, "I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me." How much more blessed would we be and how much more God would be glorified if we also did not seek our own will. It is through Christ that we become His letters. It is the Holy Spirit who turns our stony heart into one of flesh. When we don't seek His will there is often a price to pay.

Regrettable Outcomes of Selfish Choices

Doing what is right in our own eyes often leads to the regrettable consequences of sin. The decision to have sex, "just this once," can lead to pregnancy. The decision to take just a little money from the cash drawer at work may land you in prison. The decision to marry someone who doesn't love God might lead to divorce. The decision to buy something we can't afford may lead to bankruptcy.

Self-Idolatry: Choosing Self Over God

When our own desires and selfish interests come before God, it is a form of idolatry. Israel was warned many times that doing what was right in their own eyes would lead to this. Putting self ahead of God in today's world can be seen by the constant need to affirm ourselves.

Self-Affirmation Culture vs. Biblical Humility

A famous pastor even has a book with affirmations such as "I am successful, I am wise, I am disciplined" and on and on. There are a lot of I's in those affirmations, but nothing about others, no God, no Jesus. In fact, it is interesting that when Jesus wanted the Jews to know He was God, He made several "I am" statements in the book of John. Is this pastor implying that we are God, in a subtle way?

Philippians 2:3: Choosing Humility Over Pride

Putting ourselves first is the opposite of what the Bible tells us to do. We are told to think more highly of others than ourselves (Philippians 2:3). That doesn't mean that we should put ourselves down all the time, but constantly hearing self-talk about how wonderful I am can lead to a dangerous lack of humility. The prideful person usually doesn't care what God thinks. They usually are only concerned with their own needs and wants.

Psalm 119:37: Seeking God’s Ways Daily

Instead of doing what is right in our own eyes, let's join the Psalmist in Psalm 119:37 and say, "Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways." We pray that God will show us the worthless things we are looking at. We pray that we might find life in the ways of God, not our own. Today before making any decision, even the small ones, pause, pray, and ask, "Am I doing this in my own eyes or in yours, Lord?"