Do good
Series: Welcome home | Bible text: 2 Corinthians 9:8
Doing good deeds that Jesus has prepared for us! What does that mean? How do we access these deeds? How active are we in doing good and how active is God?
«For we are God’s creation. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus to carry out the good deeds he has prepared for our lives.» (Ephesians 2:10 NL). This text is a firm ground on which we can approach this morning’s theme: Doing good! God has prepared good deeds for us, which we can now carry out.
The only question is: How does it work? What do I have to do? How do I find them – these prepared deeds? When we look for answers to such questions, the attitude in which we do it is decisive. I believe that the first thing we need to do on this subject is to realise what our heavenly Father does for us every day!
- You could open your eyes in bed this morning and say: Wow, another new day and you are very close to me, Jesus. I can communicate with you everywhere and at any time. Thank you – and now I’m looking forward to the coffee, the plait…
- Thank you for my home. My roof over my head! I don’t have to be afraid of the «Lorenzo» hurricane.
- Thank you for all those with whom I can share my faith in you. Thank you for the congregation. The service – great!
We stand under the promise of Jeremiah 32, where it says: «I will make a covenant with them for all time. I will give them my word that I will never turn away from them again, but will always do them good. I will awaken in them the desire to worship and fear me, so that they will never again run away from me. I will take pleasure in doing good to them…» (Jeremiah 32:40–41a NL).
We can only agree with Peter who stated in the first chapter of his second letter that Jesus Christ has given believers everything we need to live in a way that pleases God. For when people place their whole life in God’s hands, God lives in them through the Holy Spirit. That means we are equipped with His power and glory to do good. Ok, now you feel motivated and well prepared for the new week. «Jesus, where do you have your to-do list for me now with your prepared good deeds that I can do for you in your place?» That would be nice to have a piece of paper like that in your hand!
I divide the theme of «doing good» into three categories :
- There is «thoughtful doing good»
- There is «spontaneous doing good
- There is «everyday goodness»
«Doing good in a considered way»
On 1 October was the international World Veggie Day. You had to decide whether or not to join in and eat vegetarian food on that day. Should I donate blood? Do something for refugees? Should I take the prayer calendar of the congregation and pray? Should I join the PRAY19 prayer chain between 14 and 17 October? Or join the decoration team, where people are needed? Should I sign up as a driver for the social association «Lichtblick»? While thinking about «doing good», you can ask yourself: What is my heart burning for? What are my talents? What else can I do in the retirement home?
We recently drew up a biblical gift list in the small group. The following gifts are mentioned in the Bible: encouraging, caring for the poor, practical service, sharing a right word at the right time, teaching, knowing and sharing the wisdom of God, healing the sick, leading a church, praying with great faith, hospitality, discerning spirits, speaking or interpreting tongues, speaking prophetically.…
Those who reflect and plan in faith in Jesus trust that Jesus gives answers to questions like: What is my turn? Where should I tackle? And so he moves forward. On Monday we visited a pastor couple who are friends of ours. They told us a very special «doing good» story: Five young people travelled for half a year with two campers through three European countries with the aim to win people for Jesus, to have an open ear for people and to pray for them. They experienced amazing things. In a village in the south they prayed for a sick woman and she was healed. Of course, the woman immediately made this known and she led sick relatives, friends and acquaintances to this group as well. And they experienced even more healings. So almost a New Testament Jesus situation!
«Spontaneous good deeds»
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said: «To do good requires no deliberation»! There is something to be said for that! Do the good that God puts before your feet! I recently met a man in a multi-storey car park who, of course, could not use the lift with his long metal poles, but had to go up the stairs. He was grateful that I then spontaneously went ahead and held all the doors open for him. We could probably talk for hours about spontaneous help we experienced, or that you spontaneously did something good for someone. It is good if we are always on the road with open eyes and open ears.
«Doing everyday good»
Do good where you are, where you live and work, where you study or go to school. That’s where you usually think of it last. It is the constantly recurring. It’s work that you may not enjoy, but it’s your job: studying, cramming, doing assignments, writing papers, cooking, cleaning, shopping, washing, taking care of the children, dealing with the boss, putting up with colleagues, endless meetings… When it comes to everyday stuff, it’s very important that you do it in the sense of Paul who said «.…created anew in Christ Jesus, so that we may carry out the good deeds he has prepared for our lives…»
You are in your everyday life, no matter how and where, but you are there as a new creation of Jesus and created by Him to do His prepared good works!!!! We all love Psalm 23! «The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; he feeds me, he guides me…», there is talk of green meadows and fresh water – so beautiful! And at the end, the top: «Goodness and mercy will follow me all my life.» So it is that these two appendages follow you wherever you go! You don’t just leave the goodness and mercy that follow you all your life at home when you go to work! Why do we always take this Psalm for ourselves? Why don’t you take this shepherd, with his qualities and his gifts, with you to your workplace and think about what that triggers in you? Why don’t you always put a glass full of water in front of you to remind you of your shepherd who always pours full! As is well known, that which is to shine far and wide begins in one’s own four walls: in marriage, in the family, at the workplace, in the community, in the relatives!
In doing good you can also make mistakes
For example, when we are overzealous and our marriage or family suffers because of all the good we do! There are frightening examples of botched good deeds in the Bible. Eve gave Adam some of the forbidden fruit to eat. She only meant well! Abraham presents his wife Sarah as his sister, for fear that Pharaoh might take away his beautiful wife and perhaps even murder him for it. He only meant well! Amnon, a son of King David, defiles his half-sister Tamar and the father (literally) «did not harm his son Amnon, for he loved him because he was his firstborn» (2.Samuel 13,21 ) – the father only meant well with his son! Rebekah, the mother of Jacob, helps her favourite son to get the first-birth blessing from Esau by trickery – she only meant well! How many mistakes are made in education today – even among Christians – but the parents only mean well with their children! Jesus is on the way and the Mom’s Group comes to Jesus with their children because they want Jesus to bless their children. But the disciples brusquely reject them – no, Jesus really doesn’t have time for that now! They only meant well with Jesus!
We focus so much on the best – in our opinion – and suddenly it comes across quite differently. A Kurt Tucholsky created the following proverb: «The opposite of good is not evil, but well-intentioned». Sometimes we prefer to question the good actions of others rather than our own! At the anointing in Bethany, the disciples are horrified by what is happening before their eyes: «…What is this waste of the anointing oil? They could have sold this oil for more than three hundred silver pennies and given the money to the poor. And they drove at the woman» (Mark 14:4–6). After all, they only meant well! Jesus has a different judgement in this story: But Jesus said, «Leave them in peace. Why do you grieve her? She has done a good work for me.
I summarise
- God is good – let’s not forget that.
- God does much good to us first!
- I recall Psalm 103 Praise the Lord my soul and do not forget what he has done for you.
- We can only do small things with great love when we are filled with the love of God.
- We can only do good as representatives of Jesus Christ in this world if we remain completely dependent on him. To do this, we need a good ear for his words – and a keen sense for his beckoning! In concrete terms, this looks different for everyone, says Mother Terese, some open children’s homes, others work for peace – and still others help grannies across the street.
Paul puts it quite clearly in the Letter to the Ephesians: «He has created us anew in Christ Jesus to carry out the good deeds he has prepared for our lives.» (Ephesians 2:10). He is the one who enables, equips and gifts us to do good! On the one hand, it is Jesus who does good deeds through us. On the other hand, we are challenged. In the New Testament there are numerous calls to do good: «Hang on to the good» (Romans 12:9); «strive for good towards all» (Romans 12:17); «let us do good and not grow weary» (Galatians 6:9); «Pursue good at all times, for each other and for everyone». (1 Thessalonians 5:15).
At one point Paul gives priority to the brothers and sisters in the faith: «So while we still have the opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who, like us, belong to the family of God by faith.» (Galatians 6:10 NGÜ). The following applies everywhere: Take care of what God has entrusted to you! We have been entrusted with a rich treasure of good things. My conviction for us as a congregation: «But God is able to make all grace abound among you, that in all things ye may always have full sufficiency, and may yet abound in every good work.» (2 Corinthians 9:8 LU).
Amen!
Possible questions for the small groups
Read Bible text: 2 Corinthians 9:8
- How do you understand this: doing good deeds that God has prepared?
- How much or little of my activity is still there?
- What kind of do-gooder are you? The spontaneous one? The deliberate planner?
- Can you do it, Ephesians 2:10 …created anew in Christ Jesus, so that we may carry out the good deeds he has prepared for our lives.… into your everyday life?
- Tell each other positive good deed experiences!
- Who of you can openly report a good deed that went wrong?
- Can you think of any other mistakes from the Bible besides the ones mentioned?
- Initiation to prayer: Thank God abundantly for all the good he does for us and pray for each other that you will remain well connected to God’s work bank.
