We all want to be model citizens and human beings (at least we should!). We are supposed to love and care for one another and help those who may be in need. We are not supposed to bring harm upon one another. It is our duty as children of God, if we see that someone is struggling, to come together and support them whether it be providing resources, emotional support, prayers, or whatever it is that may be required. Regardless of our beliefs, it is our responsibility as a community to pull together and lend a helping hand. However, while it is our duty to be helpers one to another, there comes a time when we must recognize the difference between Good Deeds and GOD DEEDS!

 

First let's talk about Good Deeds with Bad Intentions:

There are many people that jump on board to donate, volunteer, or engage in whatever helps to bring spotlight and recognition upon themselves. There are many people who become a part of causes for nothing more than self-gratification. I am quite sure whether it be in church, at work, or maybe in your academic or social settings, you can recall that one person that volunteers to do everything and behind closed doors complains about everything that they volunteer to do. We might all know that individual that relentlessly complains about being overwhelmed with the tasks that no one else wanted to take on. You know those people that you want to remind that no one asked for their help. Those people that you want to tell to stop volunteering if they're going to complain about it. Yet, you learn to choose your battles and simply smile and tune them out. There are people who thrive off of recognition and accolades and could care less about the mission or causes that they are involved in. There are people who use good deeds as network opportunities and resume builders. They use good deeds as a way to become known.  Better yet, if they realize that recognition won't come along with the cause, they'll unregretfully back out of it and flock toward the next thing that's going to help them to build their name. There are many who use good deeds for selfish intentions.

 

Good Deeds with Hypocritical Actions:

And then there are the "high and mighty, holier than though, hypocritical, good deeders". I know that was a long name, but it comes with explanation. Now before we expound, this is absolutely not a judgment call because none of us are without sin. But let's discuss the people who do good, pretend to be good, but act oh so bad. There are people who may be in the choir, on the usher board, be part of the Sunday School Department, or whatever other church auxiliary they flock toward, and are constantly judging everybody else for not getting involved. There are those who constantly go around telling everybody that ministry comes first, and that people need to honor God by being active in the church. Yet, when they leave the walls of the church their real lives reflect a network reality show, and they are the character to watch. You name it, they do it. These are the people that are under the assumption that doing good deeds pleases God regardless of the intent behind them and regardless of how they live their personal lives.

​

Now does this mean that people who are not considered "righteous" should not do good deeds. No, it does not mean that. The point is... Don't use your good deeds to condemn others and make yourself superior by boasting about the good that you do when your life apart from these deeds is sketchy. Don't go around asking others, "What Would Jesus Do?", when you should be asking yourself. Don't make others feel like they are sinful just because they are not active in church activities. Most importantly, don't mislead people by making them believe that good deeds alone, get you into heaven.

​

In Matthew 23, Jesus was speaking to a crowd which included his disciples. He began to highlight the way in which the teachers of the law and the Pharisees contradicted themselves. Jesus stated,     

" Everything they do is done for people to see; They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues;". (vs. 5-7, NIV). Jesus then goes on to state in verse 12 of this same chapter, "For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted" (NIV).

​

Jesus was speaking of the individuals who talk the talk but don't walk the walk. He expressed that we must be careful of who we follow because there are many who wear their "phylacteries" (these were boxes that contained verses of scripture that were worn on the arm) in a way that makes them visible to others but they themselves are far from what they are preaching. Jesus said, "for they say, and do not".  We too see those who love to carry the bible and their good deeds on their sleeve and are the first to condemn sin. Yet behind closed doors, they partake in the same sins that they condemn.

​

When we do good, it should not be for self-gratification or for exaltation of ourselves, but we should do it from our hearts. We should be genuine in our intent. Most importantly, we should do it for the glorification of God. Matthew 5:16 reminds us to" let [our] light shine before others, that they may see [our] good deeds and glorify [our] Father in heaven" (NIV).​

​

When we do things for the right reason, for the glory of God, we won't have to boast about them. If God desires for our acts to be known, He will make them known. We can't go around using good deeds as a means of condemning others, as a means of trying to right our wrongs, or as a means of trying to appear holy.

 

 Good Deeds vs. GOD DEEDS

​

Now this part of our discussion is an interesting one because it is something that many of us have fallen victim to or maybe have not realized it to be a problem of sorts. There are many of us who are kind-hearted, compassionate, and are genuinely concerned about those around us. There are those of us who have a genuine concern for the well-being of others whether friend, family, or stranger.

 

There are those of us who if we see someone in need, won't hesitate to help. There are those of us who don't think twice about donating to charities and organizations that we are passionate about. There are those of us who no matter what it takes out of us or what we have to sacrifice, we will always come to the rescue of our loved ones. There are those of us who have a habit of always helping everyone out of their unfortunate circumstances. While these are extremely good deeds, sometimes we must take a step back, reflect, and ask ourselves, "Are they God Deeds?". As good as these deeds are, is it God that is leading us to partake in them or is it us? There are things that are good to do and there are things that God specifically calls us to do. Do we understand the difference between the two?

​

Let's Explore:

When we find ourselves constantly playing Captain Save Em' for the ones that we love or even the ones that we may not know, we just know they have a need, is it possible that we might be getting in God's way without realizing it?  Is it possible that we might be interfering with what God is trying to do for and through that individual that we are bent on trying to save?

​

I can recall situations in which I was always "saving" certain individuals, getting them out of the rut that they were in, and I wasn't thinking twice about it. I'm real enough to admit that during this time, I did not necessarily ask God if I should help because I assumed that God would have wanted me to. I mean, God wants us to help those in need...Right?

​

However, God started to open my eyes to certain people and things, and I began to realize that certain individuals had become dependent on me in a way in which they started to credit me for helping them. And there is nothing wrong in people thanking you for being of support to them, but I begin to recognize that they were missing the fact that I was not the force that made it happen.

 

I found myself explaining to people, "it was not me". I would tell people not to thank me but to thank God. I did not feel right about people crediting me for bringing them through certain situations, because in my eyes, I was only a vessel. I began to realize that many of us find ourselves in this same situation. I started to realize that God could have been trying to get the attention of these individuals, trying to make them depend on Him, but I was constantly playing "Super- Hero Rescue Squad". I was saving the day because it was the right thing to do but not taking the time to seek God on whether or not I was supposed to do it.

 

It was interesting because once God brought this to my attention, I had to change my reaction to those who had become dependent on me. While I believe in relentless prayer as this is the foundation of our 1st Thessalonians 5 Prayer Connect mission, I had to at times change my response and approach as to how I went about responding to and praying for those who had become dependent on me. I remember responding to someone who had asked me for prayer saying, "I'll pray for you, but God also wants to hear from you."  There were people in my life that would not even pray for themselves because they thought that my prayers were more effective. I could not allow them to think this way and so I started to encourage them to pray on their own. I encouraged them to have conversations with God. Was I going to deny them the prayer that they were requesting? No! But there were certain individuals who I felt were placing more faith in me than they were in God. I felt obligated to make them understand that it was God who was the powerhouse behind my prayers. It was God who was making the moves. It was God who was working on their behalf. I was only a vessel. 

​

A lot of people don't pray because they feel like they can't. They feel like they'll say the wrong things. And there are even some who don't pray because they don't feel worthy. But everyone must come to understand that if you go to God humbly and sincerely, if you seek Him, He'll hear your prayers. I tell people to simply talk to God just as they would talk to me. You don't have to use scripture or fancy jargon but just simply and honestly tell God how you feel.

​

Another revelation was that I was so used to good deeds although they were for the right reasons that I never took the time to question if through these good deeds I was doing what God wanted me to do. It got to a point where God tied my hands and would not allow me to come to the rescue of people whether familiar or stranger unless He instructed me to do so. In all honesty this was extremely difficult because I don't like to see people struggle. I don't like to see people being taken advantage of. I don't like to see people in need knowing that I can do something to help.

 

However, I had to come to realize that maybe I was standing in the way of these people realizing that their true source was God. Maybe I was standing in the way of these individuals learning how to go to God when in trouble, distress, lack, confusion, doubt, or whatever else they stood in the need of because I was trying to put out their fires as soon as they started when God might have been trying to show them how He would make them fireproof. Most importantly, I realized, especially after having been there myself, that sometimes God will allow everyone who you depend on to not be available nor to be there for you, so that you can see that He's all you got and learn that He is all that you'll ever need.

 

I had to realize and accept that there are some people that no matter how bad I may want to help are not part of my appointment nor my assignment because God has already appointed someone else to be there for them. God might have someone who He specifically and unmistakenly has designed to be part of that person's journey. Now does this mean that God was not allowing me to be a blessing to those individuals during those particular moments. No, it doesn't. But the problem that God showed me was that there were some things that I took on as a permanent role when they were only supposed to be a temporary assignment.

​

Now does God use us as vessels? Absolutely, that's what we are here for. God wants us to connect with one another in prayer. God wants us to uplift one another. He wants us to be of support to one another. If we need prayer God wants us to seek out someone to pray with and for us. But we still must acknowledge that it is God who is our source and that it is God who remains in control.

 

God uses us as vessels, but we are used according to God's will and not our own. Even if it is the right thing to do, we must seek God and ask if it's something that we should get involved in. Sometimes we are so busy saving everyone else that we don't realize that we are the ones that need saving. We quite often don't realize that we need to create boundaries. When we tire ourselves out because we are doing the work that God has called us to do, He restores us. But how many times have you found yourself completely worn out, tired, and depleted, with no energy, and you don't understand why? Everything that you're doing is a good deed.

 

The problem is that many of us are taking on things that God did not call for us to take on. Yet, we do it because it seems like the right thing to do, but in essence we are exhausting ourselves due to things and situations that are not our call, our appointment, nor God's will for us to do. Many of us are so busy coming to the rescue of others that we can't hear what God is trying to personally show and tell us.

 

Many of us can't recognize the real work that God is calling us to do because we're too busy being good to everybody. Donating our money, time, and energy into everything that seems like a good cause and a good deed. God is trying to get your attention to save a specific someone, but you can't hear Him because you are too busy speeding away in the Batmobile putting out fires that God did not call you to put out. And by the time you get back to the Batcave you are too tired to do anything. God is trying to speak to you, but you can't hear over all the cries for help that surround you.

​

I had to learn not to react to the "Bat-Signal". When it flashes, I now have to ask God, "Is this a go or not? And if it is a go. Lord, how do you want me to proceed?" Even when it is whole-heartedly right, even if it is with good intention, we still need to ask God for His instruction and guidance. We cannot confuse "good deeds" with "God Deeds".

​

In 1 Samuel 15, we read the story of King Saul. God had made Saul the king of Israel. God had sent Saul to destroy the Amalekites due to what they had done to Israel. Through Samuel, God gave Saul very specific instructions. God commanded Saul to destroy all the Amalekites and everything that belonged to them. God told Saul not to spare anything. Saul was to destroy all humans, cattle, sheep, camels, and donkeys. However, Saul did not completely follow the instructions. Saul destroyed everything except for King Agag, king of the Amalekites, and he kept all of the best sheep, cattle, fat calves and lambs. God was not pleased. God sent Samuel back to Saul to deliver the message to him that He was not happy that he had disobeyed Him and that He was going to rip the throne from under him.

​

Carefully observe this scenario. Initially, Saul told Samuel that he did follow God's instructions. He stated, “I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal" (1 Samuel 15:20-21, NIV).

​

But Samuel replied:

​

“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king” (1 Samuel 15:22-23, NIV).

 

​1st Lesson: Saul thought that he was doing a good deed. Instead of following God's instructions, he took it upon himself to spare Agag and bring him back with them, perhaps to gloat. He also saved the best of the animals that he was supposed to destroy and offered them as a sacrifice to God. God did not honor the sacrifice because it was done in disobedience. Instead of Saul doing what God had told him to do, he thought it better to spare what was good.

 

On top of that, after defeating the Amalekites, Saul set up a monument in his own honor. We often find ourselves making the same mistake as Saul. We might often find ourselves, taking it upon ourselves to do what we think is right in our eyes, instead of doing what God has told us to do.

 

Now in Saul's case, God gave him very specific instructions, and he did the opposite thinking that his way would be more honorable to God. In many of our cases, it may not be that we are intentionally disobeying God when we partake in good deeds. We may be honestly and wholeheartedly doing these deeds because they seem like the right thing to do. This is why I'm stressing the importance of asking God before you act so that you can be sure that you are doing these things according to God's will for you.

​

There were quite a few errors in what Saul did. First, this was not Saul's battle nor his victory. If we read 1 Samuel 15:2, God had said, "I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt" (NIV). God was the one who was going to defeat the Amalekites. Although God ordered Saul and his army to go and destroy them, it was by God's hands and through His power and authority, that they were going to win the battle. God was the one giving them the victory over the Amalekites. Therefore, if anything, it was God in which the honor should have been given for their victory.

​

Secondly, if God wanted Saul to spare the king or the animals, God would have told Saul to do so but He did not. God wanted everything destroyed. Saul initially states that he did this to give God the best of what was plundered. But his attempt at a good deed was all wrong. Saul's failure to destroy everything as God commanded brought destruction upon himself. Samuel told Saul that the Lord was more pleased by obedience than by burnt offerings and sacrifices. Samuel explained to Saul that obeying God and following His instructions was far more meaningful than the fat of a ram. God saw Saul's actions as rebellion. God saw Saul's honoring of himself as arrogance which God looked at just as He does idolatry. Saul's "good deed" was not a "God Deed".

​

We can't think that we know what God means when He gives us exact instructions as to how to do something. Let's use a hypothetical situation to emphasize this point. If God tells you to go to this community event that is taking place but not to volunteer to partake in any of the activities, He means just that.

​

However, you get to the event, and you don't see any familiar faces. You begin to notice that all the other people and organizations are being recognized for volunteering, and you begin to think to yourself, "It's a shame that not one person from the church is here to represent. We can't let it be said that the church is not active in the community." Because you want to bring exposure to the fact that the church is also doing good deeds in the community, you decide to volunteer because you want to make it known that the church does give back. So, against God's instructions, you volunteer. You feel proud. People are thanking you and telling you that they are so glad that the church responded. You feel like you did a good deed. You think," Now, this is how you draw people to Christ." As the event ends, you're on your way to your car and someone speeding out of the parking lot almost runs you over. Your temper flares and the next thing you know, you are in a full-out altercation with this individual.

​

Before you know it, you are surrounded by a crowd of people. People are recording and pointing. And the whispers start, "That's the person from the church." And just like that everyone is saying how appalled they are that someone from the church was so irate, intolerable, and confrontational. Now that good deed of making yourself known has backfired and the church is side-eying you for making them all look bad. How pleased do you think God was? You wanted so bad for your good deeds to be known, but where did it get you and what did it lead to? God knew you were not the one to represent the church at this event, He perhaps sent you just to take the information that you gained back to the church so that those whom He called to take that project on would then go and represent the church. This is not judging behaviors, attitudes, or actions, because we can all be caught off guard and we are all going to have moments in which we might have to repent for how we react to things. This is just a hypothetical example to get us to reflect on the fact that we don't know why God instructs us in the way that He does so we must obey knowing that He knows what's best. We can't assume that God got it wrong and do what we think is best. God does not make mistakes, but when we don't obey His commands, we most definitely do. Even if it was for the sake of a good deed, our first obligation is to God and God alone.

​

2nd Lesson: If we continue to read further, we find that although Saul initially stated that he spared the king and kept the best of the animals to present to God as a sacrifice, in 1 Samuel 15:24, we discover the truth. Saul says to Samuel, "I have sinned. I violated the Lord’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them" (NIV). Aha, and there it is. Saul was afraid of the men so he allowed what they would think about him to cause him to disobey God's command. Saul feared the men so he did what they thought he should do instead of doing what God had told him to do.

​

And this is when we must realize that at many times our coming to the rescue of everyone and everything is not always about us simply doing a good deed, but often times we do these good deeds because we don't want to disappoint the ones that we love. We partake in these good deeds because we don’t want people to get upset if we are not there for them when they need us.

 

We don't want people to think bad of us if we say "No, I can't help you this time around."

 

We don't want people to think that we don't care about them, so we jump to their rescue, skipping over the act of asking God, "Lord, should I step in this time?", "Lord, should I loan them the money?", or "Lord should I help them out of this rut?".

 

The truth is that at times, we don't want God's answer because we fear that He might say "No.", which means we will have to say, "No." to that person that most definitely needs us. Don't confuse a "good deed" for a "guilt deed".

 

When Our Good Deeds are God Deeds

​

Now God most definitely uses us as vessels. God most definitely uses us to be of love, strength, help, encouragement, and support toothers. But again, while "good deeds" are nice, is God the one leading you to partake in these deeds? There are times in which you may not even be thinking about a good deed and God may place upon your heart to do something for someone, to donate to a cause, or to volunteer or join a club, organization, outreach ministry, or project whether church, school, community, or work related. We never know what God's intentions are, and in all honesty, it's not for us to figure out as much as it's about us being obedient and doing whatever God instructs us to do.

​

I recall always being a part of Breast Cancer Awareness fundraisers or events. God always led me to end up taking part in these initiatives and I never questioned it although I felt like there was a distinct reason behind it besides it being something good to do. Fast-forward many years later, finding myself in college and becoming extremely close to an acquaintance who ended up becoming a part of our family. To sum it up, I discovered during the course of our friendship, that this individual was a breast cancer survivor. And it struck me in a way in which I could clearly hear God say, "This is who you were fighting for."  Years before me and her crossed paths, I was already in her corner, and we did not even know each other's names. Now when I do support the cause, I do it in her honor. I knew that the "good deed" was a "God Deed" although I did not initially know how it personally connected to me.  I knew that it was a good thing to do but there was something in the details of it that made me recognize that God was at work. God kept putting me in situations where I was being put at the forefront of particular fundraisers in different settings, fighting for a friend that I hadn't even met. Some of our good deeds can at times be God deeds that we haven't yet discovered as being such.

​

Now there are times when God will say, "Nope, sit this one out." God had me to serve or fight for certain causes for a set time. There are some causes that He still leads and allows me to be involved in and there are others that for His own reasons, while I may want to be an asset for the particular cause, He simply has not given me the okay to do so. And I must accept that.

​

God may appoint you to a particular good deed and have it to become your passion and that thing that He uses as your platform. At other times God may have you to be a part of many different things not necessarily obligating yourself to one or the other.

 

I was most definitely that person that would donate to most causes just because it was the nice thing. Whether it was breast cancer, some type of "medical awareness cause", feeding the homeless, donating to veterans, or helping needy children, I supported the cause. But God has had to help me realize that I'm not supposed to save the whole world. There are many of us who want to save everybody but that's God's job, not ours.

 

If we think about Jesus and consider the fact that he was the Son of God and yet he still had disciples to help him to spread the Word and bring people into the knowledge of God and the gospel of Christ. Yet, many of us think that we're obligated to save the universe all by ourselves. There are those of us who feel bad for telling people, "Sorry I don't want to volunteer." or "No, I don't want to donate."

​

How many times have you found yourself in line at the store and you hear person after person turn the cashier down when he or she asks, "Would you like to donate to…..?" You tell yourself that you're going to say "No." just like everyone else, until you get to the front of the line and begin to feel bad that everyone else said, 'No."

 

So, you go from saying you're not going to donate to responding to the cashier saying, "Okay, I'll donate one dollar."  Then after hearing yourself, you say, "You know what, I'll just donate $5." And upon walking out of the store, you realize that if you keep it up, you're the one that's going to need donations. Not one of us can save everything and everybody but we all can save something or someone.

​

When our "good deeds" are "God Deeds" we don't have to worry about our supply being cut short, our resources running low, or our cupboard running out. God will always provide for us. But when we are doing things out of our own will, we must be careful.

​

When doing "God Deeds" another thing that we must realize is that we can't act based on what we see. Just because we think that certain people might have more than we have, that is no reason for us to take upon ourselves to not be a blessing to them if that's what God is calling us to do.

 

There are times when God may tell us to bless someone that we don't think need our blessing. You can be in line at the store and notice a frail, older woman behind you scraping her change together. And if God tells you to pay for her few items, it may be easy for you to do. However, if God tells you to pay for the person's items behind you and upon observing that individual, you notice a designer bag and shoes. Or maybe the individual has on expensive jewelry or may be dressed in suit and tie. Based on what you see, you'll probably hesitate and say, "God, are you sure?" because this person does not look like they need your help.

 

The truth is that the frail older woman behind you scraping her change could have been a multi-millionaire and the person behind you with all the designer clothing and the expensive jewelry could be a few cents short of broke. When God calls us to do His deeds we can't judge whether we should do them based on what we see.

​

There may even be people in our lives that we know to be stable whether financially or in other areas, but we must realize that no matter how close we are to someone or how much we might think we know about them, they might not always tell us everything.

​

God may be telling you to bless someone close to you, but you are looking at their life thinking that they're fine and don't need anything. The point is that you never know. If God is telling you to do it, He has His reasons whether you think they need it or not.

 

God may have you to bless them not because they need the material thing that you're giving them but maybe they just need to know that someone cares. Or maybe your blessing them with this thing puts them in a place of vulnerability in which they end up confiding in you about something that had been troubling them, and had you not reached out, they never would have shared this thing that they were struggling with. That individuals would have instead suffered in silence. It is not our job to judge the deeds that God calls us to do. We are to simply do them.

​

Blessed to Be a Blessing

​

Now before we close out this week's topic, we can't close without mentioning another type of "Good Deeder". Let's discuss the individuals who love to do good deeds but struggle to accept when someone does a good deed for them.​ There are many of us who love to come to the rescue of others but will refuse help if and when we are on the receiving end. There are many individuals who will give their last and tire themselves out if it means blessing someone else but won't accept when someone tries to bless them.​ There are those of us who will literally give gifts back to people saying, "No, please don't pay me back for what I did." or "No, don't spend your money on me." There are those of us who will take the same money that someone gives us and strategically try to figure out a way to give it back whether known or unbeknownst to the individual that gave it to us.

​

Here's the thing...cut it out! While we might refuse gifts or tokens of appreciation from others for various reasons whether it be our being modest, not wanting someone to feel that our good deed deserves one in return, or for any other reason, we never know if God might have led that person to bless us. Just like God uses us to be a blessing to others He might also see fit for someone to be a blessing to us as well. When someone decides to bless us with something whether it be a random act of kindness or because they are showing their appreciation for something that we have done for them, we never know the reason why. We don't know if they are doing it out of their own will or God's.

 

When we are anti-don't gift me or anti-don't thank me, and if God is leading individuals to bless us, we make it extremely difficult for them to carry out what God has told them to do. Now is God going to be angry at them if He leads them to bless us and we don't accept it?  Absolutely not! As long as they were obedient and did what God told them to do, their job is done. But some of us are so stubborn that we will literally refuse to accept tokens of encouragement or appreciation from others, resulting in that person's hands becoming tied.

 

Now if God leads you to say, "No," to the individual that is trying to bless you, that's a different case. Maybe God just wanted to see if they would follow through. But if God is not telling you not to accept the gift, sometimes we just need to stop being difficult, say "Thank you," and keep it moving. You never know if maybe this thing that you were blessed with may be something that God may lead you to bless someone else with whether immediately or later down the line. Better yet, just because you may not need what you were gifted with now, that does not mean that the time won't come when you will need this very gift that you refused.

​

Sometimes there are people that God might want you to bless that are not within your reach. God may cause you to bless someone just so they can take what you gave them and be a blessing to someone you don't even know.​ Maybe that person behind you in line may not have needed your help. However, someone close to them may have needed help but they told the person "No.", because they knew that the money that they did have available was for groceries. But because you paid for their groceries, they then took the money that they were going to use and gave it to the person that they originally could not help. Because you blessed them, it turned that other person's "No." into a "Yes!"

​​

In the same sense, that gift that God led someone to give you may not be for your personal benefit. There might be someone close to you that God knows needs the very gift that you turned down. It may be a gift card to a restaurant that you hate but after swallowing your pride, taming your stubbornness, and accepting the gift, you might realize that there is someone close to you that loves this restaurant and on top of that, they recently lost their job, so it would be a blessing for you to give it to them to use. Now whether we should "re-gift" things or not can always be a debate, but we won't debate that here because if it's what God instructs you to do, then you do it and do it happily. The point is that everything that God allows us to be blessed with isn't always for our personal benefit. God at times will bless us so that we can in turn be a blessing to someone else.

 

Deeds, Deeds, and More Deeds

​

So "good deeds" are always there. While some individuals do them for the wrong reasons, there are some individuals who do them with good intention. However, our good intentions are not more important than God's will and instructions for us. Even when it seems like the right thing to do, we still must seek God and ask Him to guide us. When you are a person that is genuinely compassionate, helpful, and has a heart for showing love and kindness to others, it is easy to think that it is your job to save everybody and rescue every single person that needs rescuing.

 

There may be some of us who God does call to rescue, help, and come to the aid of others as it relates to various situations or causes. There are some of us who God may call to support, aid, and volunteer as it concerns a particular person, group, or cause. There are some of us who God may have to spread a little bit of help here and a little bit of help there. Whatever the case is, whether it is a one-time donation or volunteer role, becoming a consistent donor or volunteer, becoming a spokesperson or advocate for a particular cause, becoming a mentor, or simply helping someone out of a rut, we must always seek God to ask Him what His will for us is. It is also important to allow God to guide us because although we did not expound upon it in our discussion, there are many who prey on the good will and good deeds of others, so we must proceed with caution.

​

When The Bat-Signal Flashes?!

​

Here's the thing... the next time you find yourself in the Batcave and the Bat-Signal flashes, before you jump in the Batmobile, take a step back and ask God what is His desire for you is. Ask God if He wants you to come to the rescue of the person who needs your help. Ask God if He desires for you to aid in the particular cause.

 

There are times when God may want us to go and save the day. But there are also times when God does not want us to be the one to make the difference. Maybe this particular person or cause is something that God has purposed for Robin. And then sometimes just like in the case of Job, God may be letting the Joker loose on this particular individual to see if they will trust Him while they endure. And if that is the case, then we must back up and let God be God. There will also be times when God won't give the assignment to you, Robin, nor the Joker. There are times when God might want this person one-on-one, because He wants them to come to a point in which they learn to fully lean and depend on Him and Him alone. There may be a time in which God might be trying to develop and bring the Super-Hero out of that particular person who you're always trying to rescue so that they can see the capabilities that lie within themselves. Maybe God wants them to discover that His power can work through them as well.

 

​So, If God tells you to respond to the Bat- Signal, then you ride. But if God tells you that this one is not your assignment, nor your call, as difficult as it might be, step away from the Batmobile, stay in the Batcave and get some rest because even if this one was not your assignment know that we all have one and the next signal might be yours for the taking. Therefore, find some time away from all the noise and cries for help so that you can hear from God and He can train and prepare you for the next call that will be yours.