Perpetual Goodness

We, as Christians, should be taking a more active role in perpetuating goodness. Our love and concern for others (and most importantly, God) should consume us to the point that we lose concern for ourselves. God will come to meet us, as we do good to meet others' needs. God's Word is full of promises for each of us that decide to lay down our lives, our ambitions, and our interests for the good of others in need. The following is one of my favorite passages in scripture:

Isaiah 58:6-12- "Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy reward. Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day: And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in."

There you have it. He promises to come to those that practice doing good and delight in it. These verses tell of the type of life we are expected to lead. We can't truly be holy, healthy, or complete until we submit ourselves to the life that comes from the power of His resurrection in our own lives. "Thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in." This is the kind of legacy we are called to. We may only get one person saved in our lifetime, after a whole lifetime of trying, but that person could be a Billy Graham. You just don't know. Abraham, the father of our faith, was told that his offspring would be as numerous as the stars. He only had two children, and one was estranged. But, he had faith in what God had promised. He was willing to sacrifice his one son to obey God. Two generations later, Jacob had a son for each tribe of Isreal. By the time they left Egypt, there were too many to count. So, it is important to put to death every day all that keeps us from walking in God's path for us, so that we can live in the power of His resurrected life here and now.

This is not some good idea, this is the Christian way of life! 1 Peter 3:8- "Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous." We are all to be unified in living like this. This is how a true Christian lives! Why? 1 Peter 3:12- "For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.” He will come to our defense, keeping us from evil, should we drop all to really follow Him. It's easy to become self-consumed in these days. However, to stay strong and follow Him takes determination. We must purpose ourselves to take these words to heart.