| “But I say to you who are willing to hear: Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who mistreat you.” Luke 6:27-28 In high school, I was involved in our theater department. We spent long days running lines, adjusting lights, doing sound checks, and striking the stage. We repeated these tasks over and over, driven by the hope of producing a well-crafted piece of art. For us, mediocrity wasn’t an option—we were committed to excellence. Determination can take us far, can it not? Think about something you’ve really wanted to achieve in life: getting into college, completing a work project, making a sports team, changing a policy, or learning a new language. It took grit and drive. But most importantly, it required your choice and willpower. We can accomplish almost anything when we set our minds and hearts to it. Now, consider doing good because God calls us to, and we want to be just as determined in our discipleship, don’t we? This isn’t about earning rewards or winning accolades—no heavenly bonus points or MVP titles here. It’s about something deeper and more meaningful. Let’s be clear: we’re not just another social club. We’re not the Junior League, the Lions Club, or any other group of do-gooders. We’ve taken on the mantle of Christ, yoked ourselves to Him, to bring love, compassion, grace, and mercy into the world. The church is meant to be a gathered people who will ourselves into service, not for selfish ambition or a participation trophy, but to truly impact and transform our communities. “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” This famous quote from John Wesley is a rallying cry, like a coach’s charge before the team takes the field. If we want to see change in this world, we must realize that it’s our actions and choices that will cause that shift—or not. And for what it’s worth—we need that change. I believe we haven’t been given these beautiful, wonderful bodies, minds, and spirits to stay self-contained. Our God didn’t create you, me, and our neighbors to live isolated, divided lives. We were created out of determined love so that we would bring that same determined love into the world, doing good wherever we can. As Charles Dickens said, “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.” There are brothers and sisters in your own backyard—right now—who need us to will ourselves to do good for them. Let’s not fall into the trap of making excuses: “Someone else will do it,” or “Why don’t they just pull themselves up by their bootstraps?”—perhaps they don’t have any boots. If that’s the case, give them yours. Free yourself to do good today, tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that…Here are some ways to do good: listen to your neighbor’s story, hug someone, give your time, be patient, be kind, be loving, be compassionate, be merciful, and be disciplined enough to see beyond yourself to others. Remember, whatever path you take, you will impact someone. Will yourself to take the path of doing good. Will yourself to see that your presence in someone else’s life truly matters. Will yourself to name the gifts God has given you and see how you might use them for the good of your neighbor. Will yourself. |
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