Do Good Things
Choose to do good things for others. And, if you are a follower of Jesus, doubly choose to do good things for others. After all, doing good for others is what Jesus routinely did. He fed the hungry, healed the sick, provided for those in need, encouraged the discouraged, and so much more. If we are to be like Jesus, we must choose to help people, to bless them.
Beyond emulating Jesus, why should we choose to do good things for others, especially those we don’t know, or worse, those we don’t care for?
LIGHT
We should choose to do good for others because our good deeds will be a source of light in their dark times.
In Matthew 5:16, Jesus says His light shines out through our good deeds. More than just telling people about Jesus, we can show Him to the world through our actions. And, it doesn’t have to be a whole lot. A little light goes a long way. Consider that the flame from a single candle can be seen from two or three miles away.
When you do good things for people in need, you are actually bringing much needed light to the darkness of their lives. It is hard for us to understand this because we think in terms of visible light. How is it that a good deed provides light? The answer: good deeds provide emotional light for our hearts and spiritual light for our souls.
What good things are you doing to shine light into our dark world?
PROOF
We should choose to do good for others because it is proof we have Jesus in our lives.
John the Baptist preached to his listeners that they must “prove by the way they live that they have repented of their sins and turned to God” (Luke 3:8). The crowds asked, “What should we do?” (Luke 3:10). John responded by instructing them to be generous with their possessions, to feed the hungry, and to live honest and ethical lives.
James wrote, “What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?” (2:14 NLT). He continued, “Unless your faith produces good deeds, it is dead and useless” (2:17).
Doing good deeds for others is not the only proof we have Jesus in our lives. However, it is a proof. If we are not interested in doing good for others, maybe we should ask ourselves if we really have Jesus in our hearts.
CREATED
We should choose to do good for others because God created us to do so.
Paul wrote, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” In other words, when Jesus saved you He remade you so you could do the good deeds He originally planned for you to do.
What were you created to do? Are you good with planning? Are you good with design? What gifts has God put in you that you can use to do good things for others? Maybe it’s cooking. I know a lady who is really good at cleaning houses and she uses that skill, free of charge, to clean the homes of those who can’t do it for themselves.
What good thing did God create for you to do for others?
COMMANDED
We should choose to do good for others because we have been commanded to do so.
In both the Old and New Testaments, we are continually commanded to do good. For example, Psalm 37:3 says, “Trust in the Lord, and do good.” And, Paul wrote to his young friend Timothy, “Tell Christians that they should be rich in good works.” (1 Tim 6:18).
If we are to be faithful to the teachings of Jesus, we must choose to obey his command to do good.
FOR JESUS
We should choose to do good for others because Jesus says it is as though you were doing it directly for Him (Matt 25:40).
We cannot actually do a good deed for Jesus. After all, He owns everything, is everywhere, and has all power – so, what could you do for Him that He would actually need? He chooses, however, to receive what we do for others as though it were done for Him.
I encourage you, when you do good things for others, don’t just see the person you are helping, also see Jesus smiling as you perform your good deed.
PERSONAL BLESSING
We should choose to do good for others because it will bring good back to us.
Proverbs 11:25 (NLT) says, “The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.”
The principle of the harvest cannot be denied: when you sow good seed, you will reap good crops.
Do you want to be blessed? If so, then choose to bless others.
TRUE RELIGION
We should choose to do good for others because it is the religious thing to do.
James wrote to all Christians, “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you” (1:27). If our religion is to be authentic, we must do good things for others, especially those who cannot do so for themselves.
Remember, when the young ruler came to Jesus and asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answered, “Sell everything and give the money to the poor.” This is a call for us to live selfless and generous lives.
What good thing are you religiously pursuing?
LOVE
We should choose to do good for others because love compels us.
We cannot have Jesus in our hearts without also having His love in our hearts. Therefore, if we do not desire to do good things for others, we must ask ourselves “Why not?”
We must recognize there is a significant problem in our relationship with Christ if His love in our lives is not compelling us to do good things for others. After all, love compels us to act. Perhaps His love is not in us if we do not feel compelled.
Consider John’s words, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:7-8 ESV).
You can do good things without loving people, but you cannot love people without doing good things for them.
We do not do good things to get saved or to earn bonus points with God. Rather, we choose to do good things because we desire to share God’s love. We do good things expecting nothing in return.
What good thing has love compelled you to do?
WHAT CAN WE DO?
First, ask yourself this question, “Is there something I wish my church or organization was doing?” If so, that idea may be from God. Don’t wait for some other person to act. Take the initiative and lead.
Second, ask yourself another question, “What time can I commit to doing good?” Instead of hoping you will have extra time to do good, make doing good a part of your regular schedule. Once a week volunteer for a ministry at your church or a not-for-profit organization in the community.
Third, ask yourself, “What skills do I have that I can use to do good for others?” The Bible says everyone is gifted – there are no excuses! We all have some skill we can use to do good for others. If you are a good teacher, volunteer to tutor underprivileged kids. If you are a mechanic, volunteer to change the oil for those who cannot afford to take their car to a shop. If you are good with a crochet needle, make blankets for new born babies. If you are a good organizer, start a campaign for a good cause. The options are endless!
Do for one what you wish you could do for everyone.