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The movie, "12 Angry Men" focuses on a jury’s deliberation over the guilt or innocence of an 18-year-old, Spanish-American who is accused of stabbing his father to death. What begins as an open-and-shut case soon becomes a mini-drama illustrating each of the juror’s prejudices and preconceptions. Eleven of them immediately vote guilty; only Juror No. 8 (Mr. Davis, played by Henry Fonda) sticks his neck out and casts a not guilty vote to force further deliberations about the "beyond a reasonable doubt" issue. What an act of moral courage!

Moral courage is the strength of character to do the right thing. Rarely is the virtue of moral courage portrayed in Hollywood or real life. But before we hammer others too hard, let’s be honest and admit that we—you and I—are lacking in this virtue as well. We lack moral courage.

Some of you are facing a pressing issue that will require moral courage. There is a business situation where you are faced with the choice of right or wrong. There’s a relationship you are in where doing the right thing is up for grabs. Your back is up against the wall at home or school, and you must decide to do the right thing or cave in. Without moral courage, you won’t stick out your neck and do the right thing.

So why don’t we do the right things? Well, if you believe the Bible, it says we are all natural-born sinners whose natural bent is toward wrong. Just take a look at the daily court docket down at the Law and Justice Center or the prison population. Actually, I don’t need to look any further than myself to prove that I’m prone toward doing wrong.

Here are three reasons you and I tend to choose wrong over right:

1. Doing what’s right usually isn’t popular. When was the last time someone congratulated you for showing moral courage and doing the right thing? Usually, its "Well, Mr. Self-righteous, what gives you the right to look down your nose at us? Why don’t you climb off your high horse and be like us?"

2. Doing what’s right usually isn’t easy. Our tendency is to travel the easy road of least resistance or trouble. Moral courage, though, often comes with pain, misunderstanding, conflict and confusion--requiring us to go the extra mile.

3. We’re not sure it really matters. Too often we believe that taking the moral high road doesn’t really matter. What difference can one person make by doing the right thing? Isn’t it more important to watch your back and stay out of hot water? So what if I don’t report all my income on my taxes or correct the cashier’s mistake when I receive too much change? Does it really matter? Does doing right really make a difference?

When our choices don’t seem to matter and are based on what’s popular or easy, we won’t do what’s right. And that’s why we need the virtue of moral courage—the strength to do "the right thing." Your moral courage operates off a totally different set of assumptions about right and wrong. Here are two reasons why you and I should do what’s right:

1. We see the benefits of doing what’s right. Sticking your neck out may not win you any popularity contests, but there are personal, relational, physical, spiritual and emotional benefits for doing the right thing. Our right actions do make a difference in this world. Besides, God blesses those who do life His way. Although the verdict is never revealed in "12 Angry Men," Juror No. 8 stood up and made a difference by forcing more deliberations and introspection.

2. We do what’s right simply because it is right. We don’t need any reasons, excuses or justifications. Right is right. Wrong is wrong. It’s simply the right thing to do. God has given us the Bible as our moral playbook. It’s not a book of suggestions, but directives and commands to point us in the right direction. Psalm 19:7-8 says, "The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The commandments of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are clear, giving insight to life."

As you can see, two opposing perspectives and assumptions tug at you when it comes to right and wrong. So how do you and I build moral courage into our character so that we’ll do the "right thing"? To answer that question, look at two courageous characters from the Old Testament book of Esther.

Here’s the main cast of characters: Xerxes (or Artexerxes) is the king of Persia. Haman is his right-hand man. The two courageous heroes are Esther, for whom the book is named, and Mordecai, her uncle. According to the Bible, both Esther and Mordecai had risen to powerful positions in the government. Mordecai was a government official, and Esther’s beauty had caught the eye of King Xerxes, and she had become queen. It’s important to note in the story: the king didn’t know Esther was Jewish and that Mordecai was her uncle.

We pick up the story in Esther 3:1–4, which says, "King Xerxes promoted Haman…to prime minister, making him the most powerful official in the empire next to the king himself. All the king's officials would bow down before Haman to show him respect whenever he passed by, for so the king had commanded. But Mordecai refused to bow down or show him respect.

Mordecai was clear. It was wrong to bow down, respect or worship a villain. Apparently, everyone else was bowing down. He didn’t need to conduct a popularity survey to discover what he should do. He didn’t try to talk himself out of standing. He knew what was right and had the courage and strength of character to do the "right thing."

But that right choice came with a huge price tag. In Esther 3:5–6 we read, "When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or show him respect, he was filled with rage. So he decided it was not enough to lay hands on Mordecai alone. Since he had learned that Mordecai was a Jew, he decided to destroy all the Jews throughout the entire empire of Xerxes." And the king approved of this action.

Put yourself in Mordecai’s spot. Like Juror No. 8, Mordecai was on the hot seat. Imagine the ridicule, criticism and condemnation he must have experienced from his fellow Jews. "Mordecai, you really screwed up. Why don’t you get off your self-righteous high horse and bow down so our nation can be spared? What’s really more important? We’re talking human lives, here."

But Mordecai knew that no nation could ever be safe where people compromise God’s principles to achieve their agenda or to save a nation. He found himself in a pressure-cooker dilemma. He couldn’t bow down—no matter what, but he couldn’t sit around either. He dialed up Queen Esther, his niece, informed her of the situation and asked her to intervene.

On the surface, that sounds like a simple request. But in that culture, even the King’s wife didn’t get an audience with the king without being summoned. To show up without an invite was a violation of Persian law and meant death, unless the king extended his gold scepter to the person and spared his or her life. Now, she, too, faced a moral dilemma—stand for what’s right or cave to what’s wrong.

What would you have done? Well, Esther sent a message back to Mordecai expressing her concerns over the uncomfortable spot Mordecai had put her in. Mordecai’s reply to Esther is reported in Esther 4:12–14, "Mordecai sent back this reply to Esther: ‘Don't think for a moment that you will escape there in the palace when all other Jews are killed. If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. What's more, who can say but that you have been elevated to the palace for just such a time as this?’"

Mordecai was telling Esther that it really did matter that she do the right thing because God made her queen just so she could do the right thing and spare the Jewish people’s lives. Could it be that God had placed her in a pressure cooker dilemma for the purpose of making a right decision? Could it be that God has ordered your life and circumstances with the intention of having you make a right choice that will matter, though it wouldn’t be easy or popular?

How does Esther, knowing what she knows, find the character strength to do the right thing? She gives us several keys in her response to Mordecai in Esther 4:16, "Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I am willing to die." (Another translation says, "If I perish, I perish.")

Here are two keys to moral courage:

1. Learn to say, "I don’t have to survive." Most of you are not making life and death choices that demand that level of courage. But regularly you are faced with making right decisions that may cost you your job because you won’t compromise and be unethical. It may cost you a grade at school because you won’t cheat.

It may cost you a boyfriend or girlfriend because you won’t sleep with him or her. Your reputation or popularity might get trashed because you stood up for what was right. Your peace and comfort may turn to conflict because you won’t budge and cave into wrong. "If I perish, I perish. I don’t have to survive."

2. Practice the power and presence of God in your life. Before Esther dealt with the pressure cooker, she asked Mordecai and the Jews to join her in praying and fasting for three days. You see, moral courage is based on a vital relationship with God. Without that relationship, you’ll cave in to what is popular and easy and question whether doing right really matters. The Apostle Paul describes God’s power in Philippians 4:13, "For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need." As he waited for his execution, Paul described his experience with God’s presence in 2 Timothy 4:17, "But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength…"

How did it all turn out for Esther, Mordecai, and the Jewish people? Esther was successful, Haman was executed, and the Jews were spared annihilation. What about you and me? What will the end of our story be? Right now some of you are feeling the pressure of a right or wrong decision that will require moral courage.

Ask yourself these questions, "What one right thing do I need to do this week? What will it mean that ‘I don’t have to survive?’ What will it cost me? And what must I do to practice the presence and power of God in my life?"

Rosa Parks died recently at the age of 92. She was arrested in 1955 for refusing to give her bus seat to a white man. In her book "Quiet Strength" she writes:

"When I sat down on the bus that day, I had no idea history was being made—I was only thinking of getting home. But I had made up my mind. After so many years of being a victim of the mistreatment my people suffered, not giving up my seat—and whatever I had to face afterwards—was not important. I did not feel any fear sitting there. I felt the Lord would give me the strength to endure whatever I had to face. It was time for someone to stand up—or in my case, sit down. So I refused to move."

It’s time to stand up for what’s right by exercising moral courage, knowing that God will pull you through with his power and presence.

It’s time to stand up!