What came first ?

I subscribe to the Daily Heartlight magazine and they really send some very inspirational and good articles which have changed my life in many ways. The articles bring you closer to believing in GOD and most importantly not only believing but following the path which GOD wants us to. I see so many of my friends , people around me who regularly pray to GOD , fast , go to the temple / church but in their daily lives cannot conduct themselves in a manner which is worthy of respect. What is the use of praying to GOD and then cheating someone , lying , manipulating others ?? Is that what GOD asked for ? No. The article below is an eye opener :

Which Comes First?, by Rubel Shelly

No. I'm not talking about chickens and eggs. It's more nearly
understanding and behavior. Or insight and change. Perhaps wisdom and
conduct.There is this ancient and ongoing debate about how to improve human
life. How do bad habits get replaced by good ones? One theory is that
education, understanding, and insight will combine to produce change in
human beings. The other is that embracing new patterns of behavior
provides insight.I'm not smart enough to settle the debate. However, it seems likely
that the very idea of choosing between the two alternatives is a
fundamental mistake. The idea that all change happens by only one
technique sounds wrong-headed to me.For example, little children
have to be made to bathe and brush theirteeth. Over time, however, they learn
the value of the behaviors. Boys especially seem to resent both these intrusions into their time – at least until they discover girls! Required activity eventually is seen
to be justified by more mature reflection. Mothers teach children
behaviors they appreciate fully only as adults.
On the other hand, there are occasional flashes of insight that come to
us and change us forever. A man who loves a woman picks up on her
tastes, preferences, and desires; he learns to do things differently in
order to please her or to make her life less stressful.
On balance, my own hunch is that change more often leads to insight
than the other way around. So there are social boundaries and rules. We
pass and enforce laws. The Bible marks forbidden paths and counsels
positive behaviors. The idea is that we can't wait for everybody to
grow up or figure out his or her own ethical rules and gradually
conform to them. That would be like putting children in a lab and
telling them to mix chemicals until they discover something
interesting. Countless more would get blown up or poisoned than would
create medicines!Unfortunately, this seems to be the way we have left people to develop
their moral and spiritual lives for the past half century. Just do it.
Find your own way. Do what seems best to you. Create your own truth.
Don't let anybody tell you what to do.
In the meantime, people have ruined their own and others' lives by
ignoring basics such as truth-telling, respect for life, keeping
promises, and living within our means. Maybe they didn't live long
enough to get the insights they needed.Doing the right things you already know will lead you to healthy insights. Groping about in your uncertainties will only serve to put
you at greater risk.

Trust the Lord completely! Don’t depend on your own knowledge.
Think about God in all that you do. Then he will help you. Don’t
depend on your own wisdom. But respect the Lord and stay away from
evil. If you do this, then it will be like medicine for your body
or a refreshing drink that makes you strong again. (Proverbs 3:5-8)

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