How do we do good to all people?

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Galatians 6:10

How as followers of Jesus do we take advantage of the opportunities to do good to those who God puts in our path. Here are some practical ways you can do good and care for others:

1. Begin with prayer

   Ask God for divine opportunities to serve others each day. God will not ask from you beyond what you can give but when he does you can be confident that with His strength and His unlimited resources God will give you what you need to accomplish the work He calls you to do. Praying for others also opens our eyes to pay attention to the needs around us in a new way.

2. Join a Missional Community

   The most effective way to do good to people is to spend time with them. This allows you to get to know their needs, develop a heart for who they are, and learn ways that you can use your God-given gifts, abilities, and resources to make a difference in their life. We were never meant to do this Christian life alone and by committing yourself in community you are surrounding yourself with likeminded individuals who together have the resources, talents, and ability to help each other in ways you could never do alone.

3. Join the Care Team
   While we hope to care for one another primarily in the context of smaller groups (Missional Communities) we recognize that not everyone is ready for this and sometimes needs are bigger than the Missional Community alone can handle. That’s why we’ve assembled a Care Team. This team consists of several smaller teams: the meal team, mental health team, helping hands team, visitation team, and the connections team. Members of each of these groups are committed to working together to love and care for the needs in our community in practical ways. We’ve built accessibility ramps, given rides, offered counseling, visited the sick, provided meals, paid bills, and so many other things to show that the gospel has transformed our lives and there is hope in Jesus.

4. Start small
   As you consider God’s word and His call to look for opportunities to do good, start with a simple compliment, or an encouraging note. Maybe you can pay for someone else’s coffee or take the trash cans in for your neighbors. It doesn’t have to be life-changing or earth shattering to simply do good to those around you. Lastly, we have a Helping Hands fund that is set up to offer support to those in need. You can donate to this fund and when combined with the generosity of others we will be able to do some amazing things. Or you can help by pointing our attention to needs you see that we may turn into opportunities for good. Here’s a recent example of the Helping Hands fund at work in a young woman’s life.

Have fun with this adventure to do good and share your stories so that God will get the glory for the good He calls and equips you to do.