DO WHAT IS GOOD Monday - August 23, 2010

DO WHAT IS GOOD Monday - August 23, 2010

“Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives.” – Titus 3:14

Soong May-ling was a Chinese Christian and married Chiang Kai-shek. Chiang was a leading figure in the fight to eradicate communism from China. As an answer to Communism, Soong and her husband wanted the Chinese to behave better. Known as the "New Life" movement, Soong desired that the Chinese would pursue good. She wrote:
“If the past has taught us anything it is that every cause brings its effect, every action has a consequence. We Chinese have a saying: "If a man plants melons he will reap melons; if he sows beans, he will reap beans." And this is true of everyone's life; good begets good, and evil leads to evil. True enough, the sun shines on the saint and the sinner alike, and too often it seems that the wicked prosper. But we can say with certainty that, with the individual as with the nation, the flourishing of the wicked is an illusion, for, unceasingly, life keeps books on us all. In the end, we are all the sum total of our actions. Character cannot be counterfeited, nor can it put on and cast off as if it were a garment to meet the whim of the moment. Like the markings on wood which are ingrained in the very heart of the tree, character requires time and nurturing for growth and development. Thus also, day by day, we write our own destiny; for inexorably...we become what we do."

We do become what we do. If we follow Christ and do what is good, we will be like Him. Today in prayer, praise the Lord for His goodness and seek to follow the Lord and do what is good.

“Goodness is something so simple: Always live for others, never to seek one’s own advantage.” – Dag Hammarkskjold

God’s Word: “This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.” – Titus 3:8