Let Your Good Deeds Shine Out For All
"...Let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father" Matthew 5:16
Children of God are destined to be a light to the world. And a light cannot be hidden by darkness. Darkness knows without being told, to give way when a light, no matter how dim it may be, is turned on.
Our light is our good deeds. It's the encouragement we give to the struggling. It's the gift we give to those who need gifts that we can afford to give. It's the companionship we give to the lonely.
Remember, Christ himself said "...Then, I shall respond: I's hungry, you fed me... I's lonely in prison, you visited me..."
When we do these things for others, we do it for our God. And such things can't hide. You don't even need to tell people that you do good things. The testimony of goodness spread by itself through happy people whose lives have been touched.
- If you feel you're good and no one feels that you are, there's something that's missing
- If you feel that you do good and there's no one close who agrees that, you do good, there's still a problem.
The first instance can be illustrated with a biblical account relating to Judas Iscariot who said that an expensive perfumed cream that was being rubbed on the feet of Jesus should be sold and that the money from the sale of the item should be given to the poor people.
What was the intention of Judas?
He's more interested in how he can benefit from the sale of the item by keeping some part of the money from the sale for himself than he was truly interested in helping the poor.
So Jesus brushed his intention up with the well timed reply " The poor is always here with you. But I'm not". Few days later, Judas sold Jesus for some cool cash that he's always wanted to make.
If you feel that you're good and no other person feels the same way about you, is there something about your approach to good deeds that's the problem?
Good intent must follow good deeds before it can be truly good. Doing good with the intention to cheat or hurt is like pouring good wine in an old wine jar. The jar will burst sooner or later, exposing everything to waste.
In the second instance, there's just no way you can be nice to outsiders and you treat the people that are related to you badly-- you deny your people the support you are well capable of giving-- and you feel that's good. No. That's a dream good. It isn't alright.
The salvation of Christ first appeared to the Jews because Christ was a Jew. Then, from there it, extended to all parts of the world.
Besides, doing good outside and not being good to yours is like the painted grave that looks good outside but inside of it, is full of rotten flesh, bones and other rotten things.
Being nice outwardly is just a one way street. It isn't enough. The standard is to be good in and out. And that's very important at these trying period of intractable level of insecurity, hunger, joblessness and relationship crises.
The instruction is " Let your good deeds shine out for all... "
Give gifts when you can. Give encouraging words to all who needs it that you can reach out to. Grant your warm companionship to the lonely persons whose lives will be made better through your friendship.
Support to family is a duty to self.
God loves everyone.
Happy Sunday
I remain your friend
Kalu Ndukwe
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