Let us do Good to all people!

In Christian worldview, being preceded doing. One cannot be said as good because of the good works they have done, and to think in this line of thinking is actually to believe in a false or wrong Gospel. One can do good because they are good in the first place, and of course, the status "good" is given by grace not by merit. This is always the starting point, grace preceded good works.  One can only do good if they understood their identity in Christ. That's the thing that moves the apostles, church fathers and all Christian throughout the ages. Therefore, when we are doing good it means that we are living out our true identity in Christ. In Galatians 6:10 Paul says, "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially, to those who belong to the family of believers." 

Here, from the verse, apostle Paul invite Christian to live out their identity, to do good because Christ has made them good in the first place. Good here means Christ's righteousness is imputed to believers through the means of faith or in Paul and our Reformed term, "Justification by Faith." 

Although Christianity is a religion of grace, it does not diminished the place of good works, especially to deliver it to our neighbor. The meaning of "as we have opportunity" in the first means that doing good is an intentional act. By this we know, doing good here is not motivated by compulsion but a genuine heart and sense of gratefulness because of what we have received in the first place from God. This attitude is contrary to legalism or any kind of self pride. From Paul remind Galatians and all Christians that the true investment in this world is not for own gain but for others, and as we all know this has been practiced perfectly by Christ. 

This verse is also a good reminder for us, especially today, as we are living in the world that is full of distress and struggle. For real, it is easy for us also to be swayed by the mood of our time and forget our identity and our task as Christian. Consequently, we easily feel bored and hopelessly confused on what else we can do? So we are all paralyzed miserably. 

One of the profound thinker by the name of Victor Frankl wrote, "There’s nothing in the world which helps a person surmount difficulties, survive disappointments, keep healthy and happy, as the knowledge of a life task worthy of his dedication." Frankl is on point. Actually, by being overwhelmed by situation and then do nothing, we become the part of the problem itself rather than solution. When we forgot to live out our identity, we are be a captive toward our feral emotion and this is like a vicious cycle that make us cannot cope with the reality of the world even more. 

That is why, the Bible remind us again to live out our identity, to do good as we have opportunity, and it needed to be directed not to selected few but to "all people" but we can start to do it from our family of believers. Of course, the good we share to others can be done from what we have or capable of giving, and not from what we do not have or incapable of giving. In other words, doing good is need to be accompanied by wise action of giving as well. John Stott call this action as "Proportionate-giving".

If we would like to be honest, sometimes, when we are bored and tired by situation around us, it is easy for us to move around and explore a lot of things hoping that all those things can satisfied us and heals our boredom (Watch serial movies, eating good food, play games and so on). But can all those things satisfy us? No. That is why, we are called not to do good for our selves only. We are created to help someone, we are designed to bless others. Actually, there is a life task that is worthy of our dedication, and when we do it, it can fuel our spirit greatly. What's the secret? Once again, by doing good to others. 

That is why, if we properly think about it, as Christian, we should never feel bored because there are so much things to think about, to do good and think "how" we are going to deliver the good. In addition, we should never forget that sharing the gospel to others is one of the greatest good ever. Because it gives a radical transformation of depraved sinner. As apostle Paul wrote in Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."

As we reflect this verse from Galatians 6:10 deeper, it is good to recall John Wesley's rule of life (The following word also inscribed on a tombstone at Shrewsbury, England) which I think can give us the application of the verse best, "Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the place you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can." And as we apply this principle, we need also to hold on to this, that we are doing good not for our sake, but for Christ's sake and the neighbor around us that God has placed surround us with purpose! This verse is a good news for us because this verse really expresses a clear idea that God gives us an opportunity to glorify Him, and therefore it such a great joy and privilege for us all!