DOING GOOD
Wise Living Series #4
Big Idea: Wise people know when to or when not to, whom to or whom not to, and how to or how not to do good.
Proverbs 3:26; 11:17-31
Welcome back to our series – Wise Living Series. We’re discovering principles for wise living. We started this series by describing wisdom as that God-given ability to discern God’s will and do them. Then we said that wise people have a sense of what God wants and have plans to accomplish them. These have a sense of their God-given destination and have plans to arrive at their destination. We also said that wise people take initiative. They don’t just sit passively waiting for things to happen. They pray, wait on God while seeking for ways to meet their needs. This principle applies to a running vehicle. A vehicle goes somewhere my steering the wheel while the car is moving.
Today we are going to look into another expression of wisdom. Wise people do good. While most people do good, wise people know when to or when not to, whom to or whom not to, and how to or how not to.
What is the kindest act you have ever done for someone?
Visiting a “lady pastor” friend who was engaged to a brother who had a case of leprosy. Many of the believers and pastors criticized this fellow pastor. Some were saying, she must be desperate to go for just anyone. Some were saying, she had no taste. Others were criticizing the man for taking advantage. He caught a good one. One day the Holy Spirit told me to go and visit them. It was not going to be an official visit. Just a casual visit. I was not to go to preach at the church. I was just going to visit them and encourage that sister. The only problem was the distance, the unthinkable discomfort, and my back problems. You see I could not take a jeepney, seat sideway, without hurting my back. And when my back hurt, it really hurt. It was going to be a long ride – I think about 7 hours. It took a whole day – 7-8 hours. When Emma and I arrived there, I had problem standing. My back was beginning to swell for seating too long. That night, I sat with the brother and our friend to tell them that we have come to be with them. We were there to support them. We were there to stand with them. Both just cried and cried thanking us for accepting them – for not being scared of him. I was “scared”. So why did I do it? Because I cared. Because he was my brother in Christ. Because she was my sister in Christ. Because she was feeling alone. Because she needed someone to be there.
Could I be a little mystical for a moment? When we left their place I felt good. A wave of warmth and well-being flowed through me. I did not mind an aching back. Emma and I did something good. We made a difference in two people’s lives. We made them feel loved, accepted, and important. The frustration and anxiety that had so filled me for most of the day started to decapitate. I felt like my parched, dusty soul had just been washed by the warm summer rain. I felt really good.
You know that man after they married came to Bible School. And you know what, he was one of my best students. He was intelligent. He interacted well. He knew how to think. He developed enough confidence to start preaching. And one of the last news I heard was, “He was beginning to preach even better than other pastors.” He was becoming known to be “deeper in preaching than others.”
What Proverbs 11:17 says is true. Our souls are nourished when we are kind. We feel good when we show goodness and kindness. Not that we are proud. But we feel good, closer to God, knowing that we have been a channel of His goodness.
This is not only true to adults it is also true with kids and young people. I remember how my whole family felt once when we were invited to collect money for the blind in Hong Kong. My kids are normally shy with people. So that day, they started quite slow. But soon they were enjoying standing under the heat of the sun, smiling at people, saying “Thank you” (mkoy) and putting stick on the people who gave. We did not have breakfast and a very late lunch but we did not mind. We were exhausted that day. I was going to preach that day. The kids were kind of hungry. But we did not mind that. We just had the most exciting experience – we know we were helping people – helping in a worthy cause.
Why do you feel good when you do good to others? It is because you and I were created by a good God, in His image. He is good. When we do good God smiles and says, “I know you would do that. I am greatly delighted that you did that. He smiles.” That smile makes you feel good.
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (NIV)
We were created for good works. When we do good we are fulfilling our life’s mission. Our good works may sometimes require some big sacrifices of time, even money. Or it can be simple acts of kindness, may be just to stand to give an elderly person our seat, to give way to someone who is in a hurry; to help someone carry a heavy load; or may be to do speak kindly to someone; to encourage someone; to take time to listen to someone. However kindness or good deeds are shown goodness is to become a way of life – a habit – a practice for us who have been created in God’s image and especially redeemed by Christ. When we do our good deeds will not only help others, it will nourish our lives.
I could stop here and just dismiss you all. I think some of you will be so happy that last Pastor has learned to preach short sermon, but that would not be right for you. That would be irresponsible for me as your pastor. Irresponsible because doing good must be done in a good way – the right way. We need to know when, how, how often, to whom. Are we to do good indiscriminately? Are we to do good to everyone? Everytime? Whenever someone ask us for help? Whenever we see a need? What does God say about doing good?
The truth is we can’t really do well indiscriminately. We all have limited time and resources. Doing good to others is not as simple as it sounds. We really need wisdom in doing good.
The Bible provides very important help in doing good. One such passage is Proverbs 3:27:
“Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.” Proverbs 3:27 (NIV). “Deserve it” “in your power to act” – these words tell us that there may be people who should not receive help. It also tells us that there are times when it is not right to help.
These words are very applicable to us in Hong Kong. How many people do you know who have gotten themselves in big trouble because they had pity on someone who was in need, who are now in danger of loosing their job and everything else. I remember listening to someone in tears who borrowed 70,000 to help someone get an operation. A few weeks ago, another sister shared crying how she guaranteed for a friend who’s son got sick. The son died anyway. The mother left home. The sister is left and now is in panic because she does not know how to pay. Thank God for an understanding employer. But what if you had an employer who fired you the moment the “collector calls at 2 am?”
Do Good To Those Who Deserve. Wise people do not do good indiscriminately. They do good wisely.
One of the people who do not deserve goodness is identified by the apostle Paul in 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15. That church had a food ministry. They fed the poor. But there were some people who saw it as their source of food. They did not need to work. They were lazy people. Paul’s words are quite stirring: Listen to him.
“And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command with the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from any Christian who lives in idleness and doesn’t follow the tradition of hard work we gave you. 7 For you know that you ought to follow our example. We were never lazy when we were with you. 8 We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 It wasn’t that we didn’t have the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. 10 Even while we were with you, we gave you this rule: “Whoever does not work should not eat.”
11 Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and wasting time meddling in other people’s business. 12 In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we appeal to such people—no, we command them: Settle down and get to work. Earn your own living. 13 And I say to the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good. 14 Take note of those who refuse to obey what we say in this letter. Stay away from them so they will be ashamed. 15 Don’t think of them as enemies, but speak to them as you would to a Christian who needs to be warned.” (NLT)
The lazy, those who take advantage of the goodness of others don’t deserve our help. I remember a church we pastor in Manila. The church was built in a poor community. It was common to have people come to beg for money. We did not give money. We gave food as a result of discovering a man we just helped in the corner gambling with the money we gave him. From that time on we only gave food when we felt the Holy Spirit urging us to help. Some people don’t deserve to be helped. Unless the Holy Spirit tells you to help. Don’t show compassion to these people.
Do Good to Help Not Hinder Others from Succeeding/Striving
Another instructive passage about guidelines on doing good is in Proverbs 16:26: “A worker’s appetite works for him, For his hunger urges him on.” (NASB). The Living Bible states it this way: “Hunger is good – if it makes you work to satisfy it.” (TLB)
Solomon, the wisest of all men, next to Jesus, says that hunger and other needs are good to a person. These cravings make them work hard. The pangs of hunger stimulate diligence and dedication for excellence. They want to work hard. Many of you have heard of Butch Conde. He pastors the Bread of Life. Bro. Butch and I were seminary mates and I must concede that he has the best memory I’ve seen in my life. He memorized our Hebrew and Greek like peanuts. Brother Butch was not a good student in high school. His dad was a seaman officer. He earned a lot and lavished his family with gifts, allowances, and everything they needed. He had no motivation to study until one day, his dad had a stroke and small died. Brother Butch realized he must study otherwise, he would have no future. That was when he discovered he was good – he was a genius. Hunger is a good motivator. Threat of poverty is good motivator.
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.
More importantly, Jesus is telling us that showing goodness to people is ultimately to share to people this wonderful love that we have received from Jesus to others. In doing good we become like Christ to others. Our generosity becomes the expression of God’s generosity. Our lives are so reflected in our homes.
“What about preparing one Big Party a year” for the old! What about preparing food for some elderly?
Do Good to Lead People to Christ
Another guideline for doing is very much related to the last one, but I will mention this as another point because of its importance. The ultimate good that any one of us can do to any person is to lead them to Jesus.
“Let your light shine before men that they might see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Mat 5:16)
Good works are lights pointing to Jesus and the Father as well as the kingdom. Good works are our best “invitations” to people to enter God’s kingdom. Acts of kindness make Jesus so real.
A lot of people today have been offended by so called Christians who failed to act kindly and lovingly to others.
Jesus example as cited by Peter to the house of Cornelius illustrates the power of good deeds, when anointed by the Holy Spirit.
“You know what happened all through Judea, beginning in Galilee after John the Baptist began preaching. 38 And no doubt you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the Devil, for God was with him.” Acts 10:37-38 (NLT)
Our calling is to do good everywhere we go. Our mission is to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit always looking for the opportunity to do something good to someone. I get excited to imagine when the 400 or 500 so who consider Shepherd’s Arms there family are all doing good – encouraging others, helping those in need, healing the sick, giving hope to those who are lost. Can you imagine if the 20,000 or so born again Filipinos in Hong Kong are all doing that. Can you imagine if the 160,000 Christians in Hong Kong are doing that? What if the 100 million Christians in China starts doing good? Can you imagine if the 2billion people who call themselves Christian started to make their light shine before men, doing good works. They honour and glory that God will receive. The seeds of love and gospel that will be planted. Good works done in Jesus name in the power of the Holy Spirit are keys that open the door of people’s heart.
Finally, our calling to do good works has a promise of reward.
In Proverbs 11, we are told that whenever you do good works, you get refresh more than when you receive.
Proverbs 11:23-30
“What good people want always results in good; when the wicked get what they want, everyone is angry. Some people spend their money freely and still grow richer. Others are cautious, and yet grow poorer. Be generous, and you will be prosperous. Help others, and you will be helped. People curse someone who hoards grain, waiting for a higher price, but they praise the one who puts it up for sale. If your goals are good, you will be respected, but if you are looking for trouble that is what you will get. Those who depend on their wealth will fall like the leaves of autumn, but the righteous will prosper like the leaves of summer.
Those who bring trouble on their families will have nothing at the end. Foolish people will always be servants to the wise. Righteousness gives life, but violence takes it away. (GNB)
What if it is beyond our power? Then know and trust that God is bigger than you. He can have someone or another way to help you. I mention this because I know many sensitive, good-hearted peoplewho live with “never-enough” cloud hanging over their heads. Your God is God is unlimited resources. The family of God is a huge family with many people to share the responsibility for doing good. Learn to assume those responsibility that are yours and leave those that are not yours.
Conclusion: We’ve been called to do good works. When we do we become extensions of God’s goodness. Good works likewise opens doors into people lives. They see Christ in us and they are moved closer to the Lord. We can’t do good indiscriminately. God’s call involves acts of goodness done with clearly set boundaries.
