Do Good Anyway
"But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded."
-- 2 Chronicles 15:7
We humans are something else. We want to do good. Truly we do. We just want the pats on the back -- now. We want to be acknowledged for doing good. We want the promotion. We want, if not the headlines, then certainly the grateful tidings of those around us.
We forget sometimes that doing good should be the reward. We do good because we belong to Jesus and He called us to do good things for others. We shouldn't expect anything in return. Ever.
Of course, it feels good when we do get recognized. But even if we don't, we know we'll get our reward one day. That reward comes along with a ticket to heaven. When Jesus lives within us, we have the promise of eternal life with Him.
I know. It's difficult to keep pushing forward, especially when no one seems to notice the good we do. Sometimes it seems that we aren't making a difference, that our little bit of good really doesn't matter. But you know what? That meal you delivered matters to the person who ate it. That phone call brightened a lonely person's day. Those kind words helped a depressed teenager make it through another day. The small things we do each day matter to someone.
The radio station I listen to (HIS Radio 94.3) has started a new promotion. They've posted a message you can print out. The idea is that when you pay for your food at a drive thru window, pay for the person behind you and leave the note for the cashier to pass along. It's a small gesture. It's called kindness to a stranger. It's letting someone know that Jesus lives within His believers and that they matter.
Sometimes people do recognize us for the good things we do. Sometimes they don't. Do good anyway.
No comments:
Post a Comment