Pt 2 – what is doing good?

Paul says we should be doing good. Not good deeds from self effort though, which many believe is being said here, when it is not.

Jesus asked someone, "why do you call Me good?"

We have this concept of good people - that giving to charity, being loving and kind, helping people, looking after the earth etc makes us "good". It doesn't. Not the bible definition anyway.

Jesus understood this faulty concept - people saw Him going around being the epitome of good: helping, loving, being kind and compassionate, yet He said ‘why? Why are you calling me good?’
He was challenging their definitions and concepts.

Of course, we should be doing all those things, these are all good qualities. But all of that is pretty useless unless we HAVE goodness. What I mean by that is probably best explained with the rest of Jesus' answer: "There is no one good but God".
This word "good" means "intrinsically good, originating from God and empowered through Him."
Good works are easy to see and we brand people "good people" all the time, just like Jesus was. And don't misunderstand, I'm not saying we should abandon or not have these attributes! No way. Many people are doing good. They do great things.
But the bible's definition isn't quite the same as ours and as we’re living by the bible, we need to get to the heart of what it is saying. Jesus' reply tells us, 'My works don't make me a good person! You've missed it! You've looked on an outward act an assumed the heart is the same!'

God looks on the heart. He sees either a heart for His Son, or a heart for self. There is no in between. See my post ‘It’s not about me’ (pt1). All the good works in the world count for little unless we also have a heart for Jesus. And when we have a heart for Jesus, we should then do good because of Him, for Him and empowered by Him. James says it best...."faith without works is dead". Works here meaning the out-working of a changed, transformed heart. Good works in God's kingdom flow out of a changed heart. They are motivated by the new power within, and that power is called "agape", which is God's love. Paul said in 1 Corinthians that doing good, giving all his money away, even sacrificing his own life, is worthless unless it's done with, in, through and by God's love. God’s love is not “self seeking”. God’s love always puts God and other people first.

Inwardly, we still have a choice to let this flow outwards. So, we have to daily choose to act with agape (or God's love) in every moment, in the seen and unseen; choosing to walk in the fruits of the Spirit even when it costs us....emotionally, physically, financially..... that's tough. It is not the easy option. Self gratification and self benefiting choices are much easier.
Sometimes it's hard to love someone who is "unloveable", it's hard drop things and walk away, even when we are in the right. It's painful when someone else takes credit for your hard work, and they're rewarded but you're not. It's difficult to believe the best when you've been hurt... The list goes on.

These daily decisions to do the God thing (which is really the good thing) is painful at times and wearisome. And it can feel lonely. Not many people see these good choices, or these good works. The majority of truly good works are unseen.
That's why Paul says don't grow weary. Keep doing it, because Your Father sees what you do, even when no one else can see. The truly good works that no one sees, He sees because He sees the heart.
When your good works largely go unseen, keep going, don't grow weary. God sees, and there will be a reward or harvest if we don't give in.