Each day when we read or watch the news, we hear of people who commit crimes. But why do people commit crimes?

Could it be because there are some people out there who don't know the difference between right and wrong? Or maybe they did know, but were just not far-sighted enough to realise the consequences of their actions.

What motivates people to do the right thing? Take for example generosity and philanthropy.

For many, making a donation makes them feel good. But doing things for the sake of feeling good - is that a good reason to do something?

We may have crossed paths with someone who did something because it made them feel good, yet they regretted it later. Perhaps doing things for the sake of feeling good should not be our prime motivator for action.

It may be good to think of this now and then, as there seems to be a lot of ads that promote making decisions based on how they make us feel.

If that were true though, quite a few of us would not get out of bed. In fact, if we only did what makes us feel good, we would end up a nation of sad and selfish people.

This is probably why we often hear of police detectives looking for motive - who would gain the most from this crime?

Quite often someone commits a crime just so they can get what they want - where the ultimate goal is for them to feel good.

The Bible reminds us people are created to love God and each other.

In other words, for society to work, we need to put the needs of others first before self (Mark 12:28-34) and we would do well to honour, worship and love our creator. It seems to be quite a practical arrangement - doing just that will keep us not only humble (a great virtue), but also ensure each member of society does their best to build it up.

All brickbats, bouquets and banter welcome at simon.chen@narrominebaptist.org.au