Doing Good

For some of us, there seems to be a conflict within ourselves about what good we should be doing.  I know some of you reading this, must look around and see what’s going on and wish you could be doing something more than praying?

In order for love and kindness to prevail it has to be demonstrated, and yes, we can do that in our families, but this must also be demonstrated in the world.  As Christians we are called to be more and do more, in order to bring the love and light of God into the world.

Matthew 5:14-16 You are the light of the world, like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.  No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket.  Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand where it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

In studying Matthew, the verse above and the verse below seem to contradict each other, so let’s look closer.

Matthew 6:1 Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.

One verse says to do good deeds for all to see, and one says not to do our good deeds publicly.  The difference is in Matthew 6:1, it says:  to be admired by others.  So, what is the motivation for what we do?  To say, “Look, see what I did!” We really must ask ourselves. Hopefully our motivation is to help people and introducing them to Jesus. God always knows our motivation and it can be obvious to others.

When stepping out to bring a Christian perspective to the world, sometimes in writing and speaking, people are often viewed in positive and negative ways because they are putting themselves out there.  I guess no matter what we strive to do, there will always be people that judge us. All we can do is to keep submitting ourselves and our work to God, we can’t hide our motivation from Him.  We pray and allow the Lord to handle the rest.

The other side of the coin is not doing anything! The following verse addresses this.

James 4:17 Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it sins.

As I stated in my first book, A Student Of Life, this verse blew me away the first time I read it.  A person sins by doing nothing?  Wow.  So, you can possibly be ridiculed if you do good deeds, but if you decide to stay home and keep your love and faith to yourself, you sin.  Then where is the happy medium that we can live with?  Maybe we can find it in this verse from Micah.

Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

To act justly (fair), to love mercy (love others and have a forgiving, non-judgmental heart) and to walk humbly with our God.  Humility is the happy medium.  To humble ourselves before God; it often has to be a daily thing

For me, I know and see the hurting and the lost. The love of God inside of me propels me to do many things. I could sit back and count all my failures and say I’m not good enough, but the Lord tells me a different story in His word, the Bible, and in my heart.

So, if you are held back by your own past or shortcomings, God forgives and strengthens you for every task.  Maybe you are afraid of being judged or embarrassed, then it is up to you to reconcile it all through prayer with the Lord. No one on earth can do these things for you, this is between you and God.  You can always ask the Lord to show you what you should be doing for the kingdom of God here on this earth. 

Some elderly think they cannot do anything from their beds or wheelchairs, but if their mind is still working, they can pray.  If they are able, they can send cards of encouragement or call people.  They can talk and mentor people with their years of wisdom and walk with the Lord. 

God needs us all to make a difference.  Can’t you hear it now, “Welcome home good and faithful servant!” 

“How lovely to think that no one need wait a moment.  We can start now, start slowly, changing the world.  How lovely that everyone, great and small, can make a contribution toward introducing justice straightaway.  And you can always, always give something, even if it is only kindness!”  Anne Frank 1929-1945

Prayer

Lord, show us the way to step out of our comfort zone and show your love to the world.  Give us courage, give us the words to say.  Lord, give us motivation and opportunity.  Your people know that a life with you is full of love and grace.  We know how to love because you first loved us.  Help us want to help the hurting and the lost.  Help us love as you love. Forgive us when we have failed you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

God Bless

Sally