Doing good works in Christ involves being benevolent to many people regardless of their needs. In Ephesians 2:10, we are made to understand that every child of God is a new creature in Christ purposed by God to walk in good works. However, many Christians have difficulty understanding what it means to walk in good works and how to do it consistently in the name of Jesus without losing zeal. And that is the purpose of this article: to teach you how to do good works for others consistently as a Christian.
What is “Good work” before God?
Good work is any kind of deed beneficial to people. However, in Christ, I term it as anything God will do to express His divine benevolence for people’s profiting. It’s beyond providing material things for people.
In Acts 10:38b, the Bible says Jesus went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil. So God discerns good works beyond the usual kind deeds we do daily (such as giving to the poor or buying food for hungry people). It is all about meeting the spiritual and physical needs of people through His anointing in us (the children of God). The question is this, “how can we walk in good works or do good works consistently?”
1. Be filled with the Holy Spirit
“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him”
Acts 10:38 NKJV
From the above Bible verse, Jesus was able to go about doing good works because of the anointing upon His life. We know that as followers of Jesus, we are purposed to imitate His way of life as written in the Bible (see Romans 8:29). So if Jesus, who was equal with God (see Philippians 2:6), needed the anointing of the Spirit and power, then we Christians also need these to keep doing good works.
As busy as Jesus was while on earth, He always had time to spend alone with the Father. Nobody ever has time; however, you make time to do what’s important to you. Revise your schedules today. Decide when to have fellowship with God and stick to it. And please do not allow distractions to keep you from conforming to this spiritual system. When you fellowship with God, He’ll strengthen you to do His work which will eventually profit others.
Decide when to have fellowship with God and stick to it. And do not allow distractions to keep you from conforming to this spiritual system.
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2. Keep your spiritual fervour
“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”
Romans 12:11 NIV
Fervour means zeal. And according to Romans 12:11, it’s not enough to have the enthusiasm to do good to people. You have to possess a secret mentality that will make you keep doing it. Why do I say this?— Because the response from some people you will do good to can sometimes be very discouraging and filled with massive expressions of ungratefulness. That is why as a servant of God, you must keep your spiritual fervour in Christ with intentionality. In other words, stay lit with God’s fire as you do His work. B the question is, how do we do it? Here are three practical things to do it.
- Never lose the consciousness that God is the one who sent you to do His work, not any man. Hence, He’s your perfect reward, not the praises or lousy attitude of people.
- Cast down discouraging thoughts that the devil suggests in your mind, especially when things get tough (see 2 Corinthians 10:5).
- Sometimes, it’s not about your zeal but the provision available to you to continue doing good works. In that case, trust God to provide for you every step of the way.
Your spiritual fervour is too precious to allow anybody to bring it down. Don’t depend on people but on God to use people to bless and help you.
It’s not enough to have the enthusiasm to do good to people. You have to possess a secret mentality that will make you keep doing it.
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3. Don’t give up
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Galatians 6:9 NIV
Weariness precedes “give-up” thoughts. Overworking is never good although it’s sometimes needful to do. Rest when you get physically tired. However, don’t let that rest period turn into a season of perpetual procrastination. Your sowing season can be a weepy season of your life because it’ll look like you’re investing heavily into the work of God without having much in return (see Psalm 126:5). But there can be no harvest without initial seed sowing. You may not fully understand why God is leading you to do specific good works unto people (of which some don’t even deserve it) today but as time goes on (and you become consistent), God will make sure that you’ll receive bigger rewards than all that you sow.
Good works are the hallmark of selfless Christians. Don’t be selfish with what God blesses you with. You’re blessed to be a blessing unto people.
