"Doing the Most Good"

 

“Doing the Most Good”

 

About 40 years ago I was asked to conduct a Wednesday morning service at a nursing home in a neighboring town. It was held in the facility’s day room and Karen and I stood at the door greeting residents as they came in. One gentleman approached the entrance but “drove” his wheelchair past the meeting place. A staff member saw him do so and this conversation ensued:

Staffer: “Mr. Smith (not his real name), don’t you want to go to church?”

Mr. Smith (emphatically): “NO!!”

Staffer: “But why not? It’d be good for you.”

Mr. Smith (emphatically): “I know! That’s why I don’t want to go!”

This remains one of my favorite ministry stories which I’ve told many times since it happened (it really did!).

This incident illustrates how we sometimes don’t want to do what’s good for us any more than Mr. Smith did. We know it’s to our benefit not to eat certain foods but we do anyway then bemoan adding extra pounds. We know we should exercise but take the attitude “When I feel like exercising I lie down until the feeling goes away.”—then wonder why our energy level isn’t what we wish it was. And we’re careless with our finances and can’t understand why there’s more month than money. The common denominator: lack of self-discipline which sooner or later will catch up with us.

Disregarding what’s good for us physically and financially certainly isn’t to our advantage—and neither is neglecting spiritual practices like reading God’s Word, meditating on its truth and prayer. Paul wrote to his protégé, “…Focus on reading the Scriptures to the church….” (1 Timothy 4:14, NLT, emphasis added). (This was especially crucial in the early church as few had their own copies of God’s Word but the principle remains valid for us today.) The psalmist observed, “…(The godly person’s) delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law (one) meditates day and night.” (Psalm 1:2, emphasis added). And Paul instructed, “Never stop praying.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, PH, emphasis added). We likely realize that these are good habits to establish but are we working on it? Let’s remember the words of our Lord’s brother: “Anyone…who knows the good (one) ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” (James 4:17).

The Salvation Army, a ministry I greatly respect, has as its motto, “Doing the Most Good”. Taking some liberties in application, are we doing the most good for ourselves in the way we live?

 

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan