Doing Good Deeds

For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. Submit as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but as God’s slaves. 
(1 Peter 2:15-16)

Meditation

You have a very important ministry in your life, everyone does. That is, doing good for others just because you love them. Oh sure, you’re supposed to share the gospel with them too, but if they don’t see that you love them first, their hearts won’t be open to the gospel message. If you found a starving poor person and all you do is hand them a Bible tract and wish them well, do you think they’d suddenly be filled with the Spirit and join your church. Your ministry is to show the love of Christ with your good works. Prove the naysayers wrong by doing your good works without any expectation of a reciprocal action. Always be willing to give God the glory for the good things you do, because you would probably not be willing to do them without His influence.
Be careful that you’re not doing those good deeds for recognition or a pat on the back. That attitude would be a cover-up for the sinful desire to be approved by your peers. Think more about being approved by your Father in heaven. Don’t continue to live as you did before you were saved. Your baptismal record is not a license to continue sinning. Strive every day to be like Jesus. Stay constantly in prayer. Humble yourself when you fall back into sin and ask for forgiveness. You were once slaves to sin, but those chains have been broken. You are now a slave to the one who freed you. You are his servant, his worker, his hands and feet here on earth.
Let Jesus set you free from the bondage of self-aggrandizement. Don’t expect a pat on the back for being a good person. Your good deeds are for God’s glory. If you don’t feed that starving person or find a way to help them, you’re no different from an unsaved person. You’re certainly not acting like a bondservant of Jesus Christ. You don't show the world God's goodness by what you don't do. You show God’s goodness by what you do through him. You show the unbeliever that they know nothing of love when you overcome your selfish thinking, and instead think of the needs of others. You show your love for God by how you treat your fellow man. You are free from the bondage of sin but with freedom comes the responsibility to be God’s servant while you’re here. 





Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, you are gracious beyond any worthwhile or useful attempt to describe. You know the end from the beginning. You give us the freedom to choose a life of trying to fulfill our earthly desires, or a life of sacrificial service to Jesus, and therefore, to our fellow man. Give us a heart like Jesus and a spirit of service to the poor and hungry. Strengthen our resolve to stand up for the widow and the orphan. Temper our desire for that pat on the back when we do something good for someone. We know you love them like you love us and therefore we should show them we love them too. We pray that when an unbeliever sees our acts of kindness they will be drawn to your love, as we were. Your Holy Spirit will be the still, small voice, warning us when we’re about to stumble. Please, forgive us when our earthly desires occupy our thoughts so much, we fail to hear the Spirit’s warning. We love you and thank you for never casting us aside. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen!

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