“Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats.”
1 Peter 3:13-14 NLT
It’s all about perception. Some people will view our good deeds as an intrusion or even downright harmful. For example, administering a dose of foul-tasting medicine to a young child might be perceived, by them, as doing them harm, and the accompanying “it will do you good” isn’t really believed. In the adult realm, refusing to serve one more drink to a drunk at the bar will not be considered, by them, as being good. Doing something to or for another person that goes against their wishes might be considered good by everyone but them. On a national scale, the current drive towards “net zero” is considered a “good” policy but there will be much pain and cost associated with it and many will rebel against something that is “good”.
We do good deeds for other people out of the kindness of our hearts. We see a need in others and, often to personal cost to ourselves, we do our best to meet their need. In my own community, the old lady across the road is totally flummoxed by anything technical. So when her tv misbehaves and confuses her channel selection, or after a software update changes the interface, it is me she calls on to help her out. And I’m sure she does the same for others in her own way with the gifts she has. Her next door neighbour is a wonderful pastry cook and often supplies her with delicacies. These are all acts of kindness and common actions in our society. If these things happen in secular society, how much more they should happen in God’s family. We read in Galatians 6:9-10, “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith”. Jesus taught about doing good for others – we read what He said in Matthew 6:1 and the following verses, “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven”. Note that His association with good deeds was preceded by an expectation of “when” rather than an “if”.
For pilgrims such as ourselves, doing good to others is expected to go beyond what society would normally expect, and this is what will ultimately cause us trouble. We believers can campaign for “good” causes and incur the wrath of both the authorities and our fellow members of society. For example, in the State of Victoria in Australia there is a law that makes praying for, or counselling, someone going through some form of gender dysphoria a crime. A good deed involving genuine caring criminalised. In the same way, a lady in the UK was recently taken to court, charged with an “offence” involving her silently praying on her own outside an abortion clinic. A good deed or a crime? But God knows the right from wrong in the abortion issue and she will be rewarded by Him, I’m sure. Some years ago a man once asked me for money to buy a cup of tea. I gave him some loose change from my pocket but was immediately afterwards challenged by another man, irate because he was convinced the first man would just use it to buy alcohol. A good deed for one was considered a bad deed by the other.
We don’t know what was in Peter’s mind when he wrote the verses that we are considering today, but we believers are counter-cultural and receive our guidance about what is “good” from our Father in Heaven. Inevitably there will be a clash with society’s values perhaps followed by contemptuous accusations of just being “do-gooders”. Society will choose the “what’s in it for me” road while Christians will look to the good of others.
Paul encouraged his readers to do good to everyone, and particularly to those we know who are in the family of believers. Let us look around us today and seek out opportunities to do good. It may involve our time and money, or skills we possess, but we know we are doing God’s work, following His desires. Any good deed, no matter how small or seemingly trivial, will be rewarded by Him one day.
Dear Father. You are our good God, our lovingly Heavenly Father. We praise and worship You today. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 