Proverbs 21:21: He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour.
Having a right standing with God and being merciful brings life, righteousness, and honour. God wants us to be righteous. He wants us to do things that are righteous and things that bring glory to His name. We will have life in abundance if we can enjoy God everyday in our lives. Pursue righteousness and pursue being merciful with all your heart.
Righteousness is not what the world considers as right, but being right in the eyes of God is what God considers as being righteous. God’s standard of righteousness is way beyond the standards and measures of this world. What things are right in the eyes of the world may not be right in the eyes of God. Our righteousness are filthy rags before God. It is only His righteousness that makes us in right standing with Him. We cannot become righteous on our own. It is through the Holy Spirit who empowers us to pursue godly righteousness that we become righteous. We pursue righteousness when we pursue the character of Christ and desire holiness more than fleshly indulgence.
If we faithfully follow after godly righteousness and have a desire to follow Christ and imbibe His character and nature in our everyday lives, we will find life, righteousness, and honour. God sets the standard of righteousness. He is always just and right. His actions are always consistent with His nature. When we follow God, we automatically are following His righteousness and His character.