“So then, those who do not do the good they know they should do are guilty of sin”( James 4:17).

  We always think when we do something wrong it is sin.  Yes it is very true when we disobey the commandments and do things that are wrong it is sin. But there is something more than that. The Lord gives us many opportunities to do good and when we fail to do good – it is also sin in the eyes of the Lord. The Lord puts us to the test by giving us these opportunities to do the act of goodness. When the time comes to do good we turn our face and do not put our good nature into action.

For instance if we come across a poor person who has nothing to eat and is hungry and we knowingly avoid the person by not feeding him, we fail to do this act of goodness. Our inner conscience tells us to do the act of goodness by giving the person something to eat. We can very well afford to feed him and we overrule our inner conscience and turn our face and ignore this hungry person. We fail to do the act of goodness.

“When they call to me, I will answer them…” (Psalm 91: 15)

God has provided us so much and when we fail to reach out to the needy when they are in trouble – it is sin. God has created us in his own image and in his own likeness. Therefore we need to have the nature of God in us. God is kind, he is loving and forgiving. We too need to have a nature that is kind, loving and forgiving. Only then can we call ourselves children of God. When we call to him he is there to answer us. God never turns his face from us – he always provides for us and rescues us in times of trouble. Whereas we in to our human nature, become selfish and do not reach out to the needy and become self-centered and fail to do the act of goodness.

God is good – therefore we need to be good. When we keep on doing good, we sow good seeds and this act of goodness will make that seed grow into a good tree that will bear good fruits – which we will enjoy. God will reward us in a mighty way for our act of goodness – because our God is a generous God. When he is pleased with our act he will reward us in a mighty way. These acts of goodness will make us pleasing in the eyes of God and he will reward us with a life of fullness here on earth and there in heaven.

“… I will pay back says the Lord” (Romans 12:19)

If we do the act of goodness, the Lord will reward us with all good things, but if our acts are not pleasing in the eyes of God, we cannot expect any rewards from the Lord. What we sow, we shall reap. If we sow good seed, we will reap good fruit, if we sow bad seed, we will reap bad fruits. Therefore when God provides us the opportunity to do good – we should never loose these opportunities and always do good – not only in words, but in actions as well.

We need to always remember to help someone who is in need and show him an act of kindness. If we do this – when we are in trouble and in need, the Lord will reach out to us and rescue us.

Steven Lobo