Doing Good

by Dorothy Teague

There’s a small two-word command in the Bible that is found over and over—Do Good. But, for two small words, they carry a lot of weight for what our lives as Christians should be. I think everyone wants to do good, but the well-meaning mindset and the actual “doing” are two different things. I’ve always sought to be a good person, treat others fairly, and follow the Golden Rule (“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”). But I found that I’m more like Brother Paul when he said, “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do, this I keep doing” (Romans 7:19).

I think we all know as Christians that there is nothing good about us except Christ in us (Romans 7:15). We can’t rely on our own strength to do what’s good and right because we are born into a sinful world with a sinful nature. Therefore, we must depend upon God’s strength to help us follow His commands to do good. Indeed, we know that it is His command to “Do Good” as evidenced by the many scriptures instructing us to do so. Psalm 37:3 tells us to “Trust in the Lord and do good.” Galatians 6:10 reminds us that “while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” In other words, we must love our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Then it really gets difficult when Luke 6:27-28 tells us to “love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” That is a tall order for me most days.

We know that good works won’t get us into Heaven. We can’t bargain our way there or try to tip the scales in our favor with good works. “For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Still, it’s important to do good works in the name of Christ because in doing so, we are laying up treasures in Heaven, which cannot be taken away. 1 Timothy 6:18-19 states, “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds…in this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, (and I really like the next part) so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” Treasures that we can transfer on ahead of ourselves can include a multitude of good works, including leading precious souls to Him, honoring the Lord with our gifts, sowing the Word into lives that otherwise would not know Him. The command, “Do good,” starts with a verb and requires action. Spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ is our responsibility as Christians, along with doing other good works in Jesus’ name. Those two little words look so simple on paper, but they are not so easily walked out in our daily lives. That’s why we must depend on His strength and not our own. James 1:22 says, “But, be ye doers of the Word and not hearers only…” It’s a choice every day to do good, and opportunities are waiting for us to seize by His design. Ephesians 2:10 reminds us that “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” God has already planned out the good works that you and I should do—He is just waiting for us to take action and do them!

About The Author

Dorothy Teague is a Tennessee native, who resides in McMinn County with her husband, Lewis, on their farm. After completing 31.5 years as a teacher in the Bradley County School System, she is active in her church at Eastanallee Baptist Church where she is a member of the choir and praise team.

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