Go About Doing Good (March 8, 2023)

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)

Are you thinking about what you can do today to further your own self-interests, or are you focusing on what you might be able to do to bless someone else and help to meet their needs? Of course, each of us has our personal responsibilities, commitments, goals, and dreams that we are pursuing in an effort to achieve the success in life that God wants for His children. Living a Christ-centered life, however, involves looking beyond our own self-interests and, as the Apostle Paul put it, “in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” (Philippians 2:3)

This was the mind of Christ during His earthly ministry. Scripture tells us that Jesus of Nazareth anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power “went about doing good.” (Acts 10:38) Like our LORD and Savior, we are called to humble ourselves, taking on the mindset of lowly servants motivated by love and a genuine desire to put God first and other people above ourselves. Each day offers new opportunities for Christians to faithfully follow Jesus’ example of selfless love and compassionate service to others. It has been wisely said that we “do well by doing good.”

Good deeds cannot get us to heaven, but, when motivated by love and done in God’s power, they will be worthy of eternal rewards when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ as believers. We are called to engage in acts of compassionate service that benefit others. No, they can’t save our souls, but good works are an expression of faith through which salvation is given by God’s grace. Like Jesus, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to go about doing good! The measure of true success is not what we do for our own gain but what good we do for others to God’s glory!

 ^“For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13)