Do Good? C’mon! – The Sixth Commandment

Do Good? C’mon!

Exodus, 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17

“You shall not murder.”

Luke 6:27, 28

“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.”

Try it; it’s golden.

Sometimes it’s good to remember that the Golden Rule does not say, “Do unto others whatever they do to you.” It’s rather more demanding than that. When people do things to hurt or make us angry, we have to guard against responding to them in kind. Treating our “enemies” with anger, disrespect, unkindness, even violence is a natural response. But we aren’t “natural” men; we are God’s men, indwelt by His Spirit, grounded in His Word, focused on His King, and our calling in all things is to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. So when someone does something hurtful to you, take it to the Lord, deal with any hatred, try to talk to your “enemy” but all that failing, find something good to do for the one who has done evil to you. Write a letter of affirmation and encouragement. Purchase a gift. Think of something positive and constructive to say. Does this mean your enemy’s hostility will go away, and suddenly you’ll have a new best friend? Not at all. But that’s not the point. The Golden Rule also doesn’t say, “Do unto others so that they will do good to you.” It simply says do what we would want done for us. Do good, like God, Who causes His rain to fall and His sun to shine on the good and the evil alike.

Is there some good work waiting for you to do it this week for someone who has done you ill?

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“In the Gates” is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001,2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Editor’s note: The use of a translation other than the Authorised Version in an article does not constitute an endorsement in whole or in part by The Christian Observer.

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