Useful Works
As we close out the week let’s not forget that a useful Christian life is not just about fleeing from that which is evil, but that a useful Christian life is actually more about doing good. Hear 2 Timothy 2:21 again: “Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.”
Many Christians get stuck in the avoid evil point. They say “I stand against abortion and homosexuality and pornography and corruption and evil” etc. But ask them what they stand for, and how they do good works for God rather than just the evil they avoid, and you begin to sense a lack of balance.
Purposeful Good Works
A useful Christian life is not just one that avoids evil, it is one that is passionately, purposefully focused on doing good in this world! I’m sure you’ve heard John Wesley’s famous quote: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” If we aren’t doing any active good in this world, how useful can we truly be for God?
Charles Spurgeon, the famous old preacher, tells a story in one of his sermons: “A skilled surgeon, who was also a devout Christian, visited a lady who was a professed believer in Christ, but who, like some, was frequently troubled with imaginary diseases. The good doctor was frequently called in, until at last he said to her: “Madam, I will give you a prescription which I am certain will make a healthy woman of you, if you will follow it.” “Sir,” she said, “I shall be so glad to have good health that I will be sure to follow it.” “Madam, I will send you the prescription this evening.” When it arrived it consisted of these words, “Do good to somebody.” She roused herself to relieve a poor neighbour, and then sought out others who needed her help, and the Christian woman, who had been so constantly despondent and nervous, became a healthy, cheerful woman, for she had an object to live for, and found joy in doing good to others.”
Doing good. The prescription for a life of restlessness and uncertainty.
I told you on Monday about the lady at my previous church with cancer. It seemed to me that her greatest fear in the last stretch of her life was: am I being useful for God at all? I sit in my bed all day. What could he use me for now that I can’t do the things I once did?
Committed to Good
We spoke of two things. We spoke of how she might pray for others, in her bedridden state. She had more time to pray than ever before. How she would be able to pray! And we spoke about how she might treat others - her nurses, carers, doctors – in such a way that in her they might see the light and love of Christ. For, to live honouring Christ is of great use to him, and to die honouring Christ is perhaps an even more powerful witness.
She died a few weeks later. We had her funeral out on her plot on a cold, cold winter’s day. Her witness for Christ had been seen and appreciated by many, right to the end.
What will you do for God? Are you prepared to do any good work for Him? Paul wrote “Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.” (Romans 12:21 NLT-SE)
A useful Christian life is not all talk, or all avoiding evil. It’s a life committed to doing good whenever there is a chance.
