The Elusive Good Deed

The race for owning the title of 'doers of good in the world' is a very close match, and it is a shame that this is the reality. It isn’t that unbelievers are doing more or greater good in the world than believers are, but rather, that many believers are setting an easy pace for themselves, blurring the line between who is really doing good in the world and who is going through the motions.

We blur the lines by trying the world’s present method of goodness: programs, activities, social and community events. Even within the church, opportunities abound to be “good” without engaging oneself or Jesus; simply sign up, attend, join, and enjoy the greater spirituality for yourself and others. Excuse the cynicism, but this is what we are led to believe, whether by those wanting the program to succeed or by the laziness inside of us.

It is hard in our Christian culture to challenge ourselves to a higher understanding, or even a real experience of God. On all fronts we are spoon fed who God is and what He means for us. We have made it easy to not only follow Jesus, but to feel that we are good and doing good.

Our God has become so impersonal that we willingly accept the blur in the line between goodness and spiritualized distraction. We will readily give our time and energy to a cause or program, while neglecting our investment in our marriages, intimate time with our children, even the discipline of listening to God. In all this we wonder why God is not helping us in our relationships, our home life or communicating what His will is for us. After all, we are so invested in His work. We are doing so much for Him.

Perhaps we need to slow our own pace and allow room for true connection, true reflection and true conviction; conviction that guides every aspect of our lives and our definition of goodness, perhaps even our definition of church.

~ T. Brygger