By Todd Paetznick, September 5, 2024

As Christ-followers, we were made to do good works, according to Ephesians 2:10 (recorded at the bottom of this post).  But what may seem strange when we dive more deeply into this familiar passage is that God actively arranges the opportunities for us to do good in advance (also, Ephesians 2:10).  God’s purposeful preparation of opportunities to do good has many implications.  

• God had a role in someone’s need.  God prepared the need for us to resolve.  This is both a test for us and an opportunity to glorify God’s name.   
• We have what we need to meet the need.  This is an opportunity to expand our faith.  Helping another person with their need will likely require help from God, too.  Spiritual gifts are more significant than merely something we can do well.  Spiritual gifting is a supernatural equipping for a specific purpose, which may include what is needed to help another person’s need. 
• We encounter people with needs all the time.  We do not have to travel halfway around the world to find people in need; there will be people we encounter daily with needs that we can do something about.  I recently heard a story of someone observing a young person helping an elderly person with their groceries.  Not only did this relatively small act of kindness positively help the elderly person, but the observer was also positively impacted.  
• Our faith and joy will grow when we act.  Helping people feels good.  When we seize the opportunity and help a person in need, not only do we help to resolve the problem they face; but we can feel good about our involvement, and joy that God cared enough to use us, see Him at work firsthand, grow in our faith, and also improve God’s reputation.
• For a time such as this.  What if we do nothing?  What if we miss or ignore the opportunity to do good?  Will the person with a need still suffer? What happens to us?   In short, failing to act on a chance to do good does nothing to expand our faith, and we miss out on the joy of helping another person.   But we should not think so highly of ourselves to believe that nothing will happen without us or that the need will not be met through another person or another means. Queen Esther’s life and her uncle Mordecai’s wisdom offer insight.  Facing a plot to destroy all of the Jewish people, Mordecai reminded Esther that she alone had access to the king and could save her people.  Perhaps, he speculated, God made her queen to rescue His people.  However, Mordecai reminds Esther (and us)  that God’s plan will move forward with or without us (Esther 4:14).  
• We are to walk in good works (Ephesians 2:10).  As Christ-followers, we should be known for the good we do for others.  Our reputation must be as helpers, problem solvers, and doers of good.  When our reputation is good, and we are known to be Christ-followers, His reputation will be good as well.  

Keep your eyes open for the opportunity to do good for someone you encounter today.  

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this [is] not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Eph 2:8-10 NASB20)