Keys to the Kingdom
By Carolyn Tucker
To Do or Not to Do
I have certainly been on the receiving end of people “doing good” on my behalf. More than once, when I was grieving heavily over the loss of my late husband, I prayed, “Oh God, please impress upon several people to intercede and pray for me right now.” Within a few short minutes, my burden of sorrow had lifted and I felt relief and peace. Someone fulfilled their Christian duty toward me, resulting in my desperate prayer being promptly answered. Believers must constantly be aware that God uses His obedient servants to accomplish His will, and to answer prayers of petition for others.
“I live before God, doing my duty with a perfectly good conscience” (Acts 23:1). This is a BIG little verse which basically covers our entire life in a nutshell. It’s plain to see that Christ followers are to live our lives in obedience to God’s Word and Jesus’ example, which produces a clear conscience.
Galatians 5:13 is another BIG little verse: “Through love serve one another.” If believers are going to do our duty through service, we have to actually be with someone to serve him/her. Please stay in touch with one another. When the Holy Spirit brings someone to your mind, reach out to them. I’m still working on this “others” process. Let’s think realistically about how many people you and I know, and then ponder why our mind would bring “Sue” or “Bob” to the forefront of our thoughts. We need to be alert and realize that this occurrence is not just happenstance. Sue or Bob needs us to reach out.
As a personal example, I’d been thinking of my friend “G” so I jotted down a note to call her sometime that day. That very morning, while shopping, I spotted her. We visited a few minutes and then I asked if I could pray for her and she said, “Yes.” I openly prayed for her in the produce aisle and then we parted. So did I help her? I don’t know, but I did my duty to love her and bring her situation to the Throne of God. When I left the store, my conscience was good. I had obeyed the Holy Spirit to pray for her right there in front of the potatoes, tomatoes, and avocados.
Do I deserve a Brownie button for that act of kindness? No, no, a thousand times no — I was just doing my duty as a fellow believer and friend. Compared to God’s everlasting love and kindness, what we do is on the lowest level of “achievements.” But it’s paramount that we aim for the highest level of obedience.
And remember, the devil will always try to talk you out of doing something good. If I would have hesitated a split second to pray for my friend, the devil would have convinced me not to do it. I know this for a fact. He will do anything to cheat you out of a blessing by doing your duty (moral obligation/responsibility). Jesus went around doing good so we should do the same without hesitation (see Acts 10:38). Fleshly hesitation is like opening the door just enough for the enemy to stick his big, ugly, stinky foot inside. We never ever want to give him a foothold because nothing good will come from that mistake.
The Key: Will you do your duty or not?