Mark 10:18, Eph 2:10, Proverbs 3:27, 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15, Proverbs 16:26

Carl Belcher

do-good.er
n.
"A naive idealist who supports philanthropic or humanitarian causes or reforms."

When we hear the term do-gooder it throws up all sorts of images of stereotypes, many of which I'm pretty sure aren't entirely positive. It seems that doing good doesn't fit easily within our present culture, which places a greater emphasis on notoriety, material success and scandal rather than the selfless, unknown acts of kindness and generosity shown by countless unknown heroes.

And yet for those following Jesus today that is part of the creators intention, that we should bring light into wherever we find ourselves. To bless and to bring goodness into every situation wherever and whenever possible. To be do-gooders.

I have a theory that the reason why there are so many people who go through life with such a deep sense of dissatisfaction is due to the fact that they have not or are not experiencing the life centering joy and fulfillment that comes from being who God created us to be and bringing goodness into the lives of others. Why does it feel good when we do good? Gen 9:6 says that "God made humans in his image reflecting God's very nature."

And God's very nature is good (Mark 10:18). Because God has massive capacity for doing good, therefore so do we. When we do good stuff we feel like we are doing what we were created to do. We sense inner affirmation of who we are & what we've done. A sense that this is who God made me to be.

It's not just that by doing good we reflect the nature of our creator that gives us this sense, but the fact that we were created with purpose to do good.

Eph 2:10 " We are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Doing good isn't just a one off box ticking exercise, but is part of a way of life that God has intended for us. We need to allow it to become part of our lifestyle.

Now that we've established that, it would be easy to say, "Right then, just get on with it!". However there remains some unanswered questions, such as how, when, where, how often and who to?

"Be good to all and change the earth" might sound like a great slogan, but sometimes in our desire to bring goodness to others we can unintentionally make situations worse, like inflating peoples dependency on others or taking away their responsibility to overcome challenges.

Proverbs 3:27 gives some helpful direction on how we should approach this whole issue: "Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act." This seems to suggest that some people deserve to have good 'done to them' and others don't. So who qualifies?

2 Thessalonians 3:6-15 gives a great example of Paul instructing the believers to keep away from 'idle brothers'. Basically there were some followers who were deliberately sponging off the kindness of everyone else and eating the food provided for those who were in need, even though they themselves were able to work and provide food for themselves. Verse 10 says, "For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule, 'If a man will not work, he shall not eat.'"

This might seem a bit harsh but consider the injustice that they are taking away the provision from those who desperately need it or by just giving unneeded handouts to these people, the well-meaning believers are removing the opportunity for those concerned to be stretched, use their God given abilities and gifts and gain the satisfaction that comes from seeing the outcome of their hard work.

Proverbs 16:26 say that, "The labourer's appetite works for him; his hunger drives him on". Hunger and personal need can be good if it stimulates us to work diligently. Any intervention that diminishes someone's drive to work undermines their development and creates an unhealthy dependence.

But all this, 'Be careful who you do good to' stuff that Proverbs 3:27 tells us about is not to stop us from doing good. The main point is, 'Do Not hold back from doing good". If it is in our power, then we better do it. Someone once said, 'It may be that the vast majority of unfulfilled needs that bring sadness, heartache, loneliness & despair into human lives are merely the results of good works left undone'.

Sometimes though we have to accept that it may not be in our power to help at that time. We may lack the knowledge, skill, time, talent or resources to meet a need. We must then trust God to assign that task to someone who has and not worry about it.

My prayer for you today is that you may know the life centering joy that comes from doing good. That goodness may become a way of life for you, and that God would give you wisdom and discernment to know the when, who, how and where. That you may trust God to intervene when it's not in your power to bring about the change you desire.

If you haven't already seen this, check out www.shineyourlight.com and let's shift today's culture by making goodness fashionable. Go for it!