Keeping on ...Keeping ON!

Yesterday, another year on the calendar ticked off because I celebrated my 67th birthday. Now, I personally do not think I am getting older, but my body keeps telling me otherwise. In fact, two weeks ago, I tried to relive my glory days as a well-accomplished softball player from back in the 70's and 80's of my young adulthood....I AM STILL FEELING THE SORENESS AND ACHES OF THAT DAY ON THE SOFTBALL FIELD.

Let's face it...I am out of shape for such activity simply because I have not participated in a softball game in the last twelve years. When the ball was hit my way, instinctively, I knew what to do; however, my body would not respond as it should because it was out of shape. It wanted to scoop the ball up, throw it to first base and send the runner back to the dugout...it did not happen.

Looking at our spiritual life can show the same type of dilemma when it comes to doing good...we know what we should do, but we have not been doing good and our actions are limited by the lack of activity in this regard. In simple terms, we just don't do the good we should!!!!

Paul warned the Galatians about this in Chapter 6 verse 9 when he said, "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap a harvest, if we do not give up."

And that's the rub of life for you and me...God has called us to do "good" works; works for which He wants to richly reward us for doing; however, we get lazy or complacent and before we know it, we forget what a good work looks like...or we are so set in our ways that we can be bothered to do good for those around us. We quit using our "do good muscles" and we are out of shape to do even the simplest of good deeds for someone who is struggling and needs a helping hand. This can and does happen even to the best of us...so what are we to do?

Take a moment today to put those "do good" muscles back to work....start small so you don't strain yourself (I jest)...but reach out to a friend in the faith and see what is going on in their life and offer a word of encouragement or actually find a way to help them through their situation. It may be to drop off their kids at soccer practice so they can run a few personal errands; go visit a friend in the hospital or drop by and see an elderly person that needs a little "company"...take a homeless person to lunch or swing by the soup kitchen and help clear the tables. Whatever it is, it will get you back on the right track of "doing good" and exercising the talents and gifts of grace that have been bestowed on you by a loving and caring Heavenly Father.

Don't let this world tell you that you can't make a difference...you will make a BIG DIFFERENCE in each life that you touch by doing a good work, offering a helping hand, speaking a word of hope and encouragement or pointing them to Jesus....who did the greatest of "good works" when He died for you and me....and that alone is the only reason you need to reach out to this lost and dying world...because Jesus did that for YOU!

Keeping on doing Good so God gets the Glory,

WPQ