Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 1 Peter 3:13
Several years ago, the Methodist Bishop Reuben Job wrote a little book called Three Simple Rules: A Wesleyan Way of Living. He expands upon John Wesley's rules; Do No Harm, Do Good, and Stay in Love with God. Good guidelines for every Christian.
At first, these may seem simple the words may be plain, but the work is in the application as with all rules. How do we do good? Is good the same in all situations? It is hard sometimes to keep from falling into the trap of not doing good because we don't understand what we should do. Here's the crux, though, we may sometimes do harm by not doing good. Our inaction may cause pain. For example, not sharing the liberating message of Jesus Christ with someone because we are afraid of offending does harm because we are denying them an opportunity to know Christ. Yes, Christ's message may be rejected, but in its deliverance, you have done good.
Will we never be harmed if we do good? Is this an absolute? Of course not. There are always some exceptions. Nevertheless, the reward far outway the risks. When what we do is in the service of God, even if we are harmed, we still gain honor in heaven.
Mighty and gracious God, we give you thanks for the good you shower upon us each day. Please help us overcome our fears of harm and us as your instruments of good in the world this day. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
Blessings,
Pastor Tim
