There’s an old saying that went something like this: I don’t drink, smoke, cuss or chew and I don’t date boys that do!
What’s the meaning behind this saying? I think it’s trying to tell us that by not doing these things it makes us be good.
Image by Lena Vasiljeva
We’re living clean, speaking clean, and staying sober. All great things, for sure. But is that all there is to goodness?
Should our lives be filled with not to dos? This is where I think we’ve gone wrong.
Instead of setting up rules and regulations to help us be good, we need to be out doing good instead. Doing good trumps being good any day in my book.
But why is this the case? Why isn’t being good, good enough?
Most of the time when we’re trying to be good, we’re setting up boundaries around what shouldn’t be done. Like the previous saying, they’re good because they don’t drink, smoke, cuss, or chew. Or, go with boys who do. This makes them good.
Really? Are you serious, this is what makes us good?
I don’t think so. There’s more to goodness than what we don’t do.
Instead of being good, we need to go out and do good. Even Jesus commanded people to do as much when he commanded us to love.
What could you do to do good?
Maybe you could
Help a single mom with her grocery bills
Help your neighbor get their truck out of the snowdrift
Help at the local food pantry
Help a fatherless child with their homework
We all know there’s tons of actions we can take daily that would be doing rather than being. Stop holding back.
Step forward and begin doing good rather than just being good.
Question: What good have you done recently? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.