Doing Good Series

You know why many of us did well. Emma comes from a very poor family. She knew the difficulty of poverty – to have no money, no food, no clothes to wear, no money for tuition fee, no money for allowance. They did not have allowances. There was no money. You did not buy what you want. You save whatever money. You learn to recycle. You learn to work. You studied hard. You know your future depends so much on your education. Education became important. You took your studies seriously. You pay your dues.

Let me have a word for us parents, aunties, uncles, and children. We can be so generous that we destroy our children. Some of us parents are damaging our children because we give them too much without them working for it. We buy them stuff that they don’t work for. They start thinking that life is easy. Money is easy. You don’t need to work hard. Study. Sweat. Daddy is around. He has work. He has money. He has saved enough money for me. I don’t need to work. Why study hard when I have everything!

I believe it is right that we help our children start with their lives. We would love to give them something as they start their family. But I believe in the wisdom of work. They must learn to take responsibility. They must be taught to earn their own money. To strive hard. To earn hard money. Generosity can foster irresponsibility. When it happens then goodness is wrong.

Do Good to Share God’s Love Without Thinking of Returned Favor

Jesus gives us an interesting guideline of who to show goodness. He says that when we prepare a party we should invite people who can’t invite us back. We are not to do good to others hoping that they too might do good to us. This is like our exchange gift during Christmas. Give twenty so you can get another twenty. Meaningless. No joy. No spirit. Luke 14:12-14 warns us against self-serving exchange of favour.

Luke 14:12-14

12 Then he turned to his host. “When you put on a luncheon or a dinner,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will repay you by inviting you back. 13 Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14 Then at the resurrection of the godly, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.” (NLT)

Don’t just invite your friends. Invite those who can’t return the favor. Jesus is saying that when you make a feast think of the poor; those who don’t ever get invited; those less privileged people. Don’t do good only to those who will be able to do good to you. Invest your lives and goodness to people who will never be able to pay you back. Because God will repay you!!!

This is an interesting passage and we should ask why does Jesus instruct us to do so? I think first of all is that our homes are the best places to offer love. Jesus loved homes. He visited homes. He preached in homes. He healed in homes. He performed miracles in homes. He loved in homes. He forgave people in homes. He prayed in homes. He ate in homes. He discipled people in homes. He extended His kingdom in homes. The home is a very special place for Jesus.