PODCAST
Doing Good
November 28th, 2014
2 Thessalonians 3:1-18
Throughout his missionary journeys, Paul had a special love for the people of Thessalonica. At one point, he even said, “Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you” (1 Thess. 2:7b-8a). Furthermore, the apostle had great confidence in the Thessalonian Christians. He appealed for them to pray “that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you” (v. 1b). Later he expresses his hope that they would “never tire of doing what is good” (v. 13b).
We live in a condo, so a wall separates us from our neighbors. In our early years there, we constantly heard various sounds from them: the piano, the moving of furniture. It was annoying, and on one occasion, we questioned them. Over time, my wife, who is an excellent cook, prepared homemade pie for them. Doing good has paid rich dividends.
Once my wife met a lady named Barbara who confessed her need to be delivered from her smoking habit. We offered prayers as well as encouragement, and recently, my wife baked some delicious cinnamon rolls for Barbara. God is working through our simple acts of doing good.
Author: W. Talmadge Johnson
