Doing Good...

Do

 

good

 

and

 

quietly

 

 walk

 

 away

 

 

This quote, although I know not its author, really struck me with it's simple but profound meaning. And then I pondered awhile...

 

~doing good is best when done in a way that 'the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing', without a lot of hoopla and fanfare, for the glory of God and not the praise of men

 

~doing good means I will obey the Holy Spirit's prompting and warn or admonish someone, in love as Christ does, even if it means I may be gossiped about or slandered in the process; the quietly walking away part is harder on the flesh in such situations, as we want to defend ourselves and try to make others understand how right we are. I am finding that if I have obeyed the Lord, quietly walking away means I get to release the one in question to the One whose Spirit has all the power needed to bring them to repentance and understanding what He feels they need to know; quietly walking away means I get to rest in the security that I am under the direction of my Father and need not the approval of men to make it alright.

 

~doing good comes in many ways and in many forms. I don't get to pick and choose how I will do good when I am being called of the Father and gifted of the Spirit as He sees fit for me. Sometimes it may even require stretching me 'way beyond my comfort zone to doing something I thought not  possible for me to do!

 

 

For example:

I am not an animal person. A whiff of cow manure can send me running for cover; kittens or dogs on my lap are certainly not my idea of peaceful pastimes; and jogging up the lane (quite out of shape at the time and out of breath!) being surrounded by hungry goats, who have gotten out while the Farmer is away as I gingerly hold a pail of feed (think: dirty, smelly animals chasing this gardening type country girl holding a bucket that has been licked by animals and set in who knows what type of enviroment!) to bribe them into their pasture!...ahem, you get the picture...

 

One day, when my oldest daughter was in first grade, she wanted to bring a goat kid to school for show and tell day. The Farmer was working at a woodworking shop at the time, having goats on the side to keep him in touch with his farming roots. He thought that her idea was  brilliant one and elected me to be the chauffer for this event. I was a bit disconcerted at the thought, but having newly repented of my wicked insubmission to my husband's leadership, I decided that I had better starve the flesh and walk in the Spirit on this one.

 

 

 

SO...I took that kid in a pet carrier in my van to school on the appointed day, and am none the worse for having done so! The children loved it and my daughter has blessed memories of taking a kid to school for show and tell (AND delivered by her unappreciative-of-animals mother to boot!)

 

And I am happy that I chose to do good in this way, blessing both my husband and my daughter. 

 

 

"As we have opportunity, let us do good unto all men,

especially those who are of the household of faith"

 

"To do good and to communicate, forget not; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased"

 

"To him that knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin"