The Joy of Doing Good

When my wife and I lived in London. I used to occasionally prepare a simple curry supper for her when she came home from work. She worked in a bookshop in Twickenham, a suburb of London. She had long days which included a 30-40 minute bus ride from our house to the shop each way. Cooking a simple meal was no big deal, but it gave me real pleasure to see how happy she was to come home to a prepared meal.

One of the teachings of the Bible is that God delights in giving us good gifts and blessings. James 1.5 indicates that God gives his gifts abundantly and without reproach. Part of the reason why God does good to us and gives abundantly is because of the pleasure and joy he derives in doing good things. It should be the same with his children. We should delight in doing good for others and rejoice in the pleasure it brings.

Now this may not sound very 'Christian' because it sounds like we are doing good just for the pleasure it gives. We do all things to the glory of God, but included in doing that is the pleasure it brings. We seem to have an idea that to have pleasure in  doing good that we are promoting ourselves, and aren't we suppose to deny ourselves? I think that denying ourselves is often a misunderstood concept. We are then to deny our feelings and pleasures because somehow this is evil, but this a misconception. The issue is not about having pleasure, the issue is what we derive our pleasure from-what is it that makes us happy or gives us joy? I believe that Jesus took great delight when he helped people, healed their diseases, and changed their lives. How could he not be filled with joy in doing these good things? Why shouldn't we follow in his footsteps and take delight when we help others and do them good?

Doing good things and the joy it brings is really a part of what the Bible means when it states that Christians are to be marked by joy. We have joy for many reasons. It is certainly a state brought about by the Holy Spirit in our lives. It is also about gratitude towards God as we know that he loves us and will never forsake us. It is joyful assurance that we do not have to be the victims of circumstance and that our lives have everlasting meaning and purpose. We have joy and pleasure in knowing that all that happens to us good or bad is conforming us into the likeness of Christ. However, I believe that part of that joy and pleasure comes from doing good to others. Paul prays for the Colossian believers 'that you may have a walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him (giving him pleasure?),being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God' (Col. 1.10).

It should be the Christian's goal every day to seek to do good to others. The joy it brings is really like the frosting on the cake. It adds to the abundant joy that we have from God and his son Jesus Christ, and what a testimony to our Faith! Barnabas was sent from Jerusalem to Antioch to encourage the believers there. Acts 11.24 states that he was a 'good man, full of the Holy Spirit...and a great many people were added to the Lord'. The testimony of Barnabas and his goodness reached out to many, with the result that many became Christians. May we be a people marked by goodness and taking delight in doing good so that we may also see 'many people' in our community added to the Lord.