I love to ask questions, especially good questions. “Question” is an avenue for greater quest of knowledge, clarification of doubt and restoration of understanding. It helps us to know where we are in the grasp of our understanding of things around us. It helps us to strengthen our belief system as well as our conviction system. I am still learning to ask questions, especially good and valid questions. Every question is important, no matter how silly sometimes it may seem but nevertheless, it stirs us to think as well as to act accordingly, justly and wisely.

When I ask this question: “Are you doing good?”, what am I indicating? What am I referring to? What am I trying to do? It is a legitimate question which I am asking. If I ask it negatively, it will be like this: “Are you doing evil?” That will not be a nice way to ask. For every child of God, being born again of the Spirit, we are instructed to bear the fruit of the Spirit. One aspect of the fruit of the Spirit is goodness (see Galatians 5:22). Goodness should be displayed in each of our daily lives as one who has been snatched from darkness and saved from sins and shame. God is so good to me. With much gratitude in my heart, I would be good to others. Being a recipient of God’s goodness, I should also be a reflector of God’s goodness! Others would see the Living Christ in and through us when we shine His goodness to others.  

If one does not do good, what does it really imply? It implies that goodness might not be the pursue of one’s purpose in life. My purpose of addressing this question: “Are you doing good?” is to encourage us to start thinking of whether we have been doing good. When you are doing good, what then is your basis for doing good? For me, my basis for doing good is to glorify Christ Jesus who showers His great and rich goodness upon me. Without Christ, I would not know what goodness is really all about. When I met Christ, my perspective of life changes. He gives me “beauty for ashes.” I was ugly but Christ gives me beauty. He gives me meaning in life. I have the abundant life in Christ. I no longer live for myself but for Christ and Christ alone. I was a nobody until Christ came and make me a somebody in Christ. Now that I am in Christ, I am able to do good. Having been richly blessed by the Lord Jesus Christ, through Him and for Him, I can become a wonderful blessing to others, to those around me without any reservation or apprehension. Being filled with the Spirit of the living and loving God, I now can comfortably and confidently reach out to others for their good and encouragements. I am not shy in doing good! In Ephesians 2:10, God encourages me through this Bible verse that “… we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Another Bible verse in Galatians 6:9-10 motivates me further regarding doing good, not only to all people but especially to the community of believers in Christ. I should not be wearied of doing good but all the more enthusiastic about doing good. The joy and reward of doing good surpasses all obstacles and hindrances to doing them. If someone is drawn closer to God in their walk with Christ because of my ministry of doing good, I would gladly rejoice in the Lord my God. I will give praise to Him for indeed “it is God who works in ‘me’ to will and to act according to His good purpose.” (see Philippians 2:13).

“Are you doing good?” Why not? I am created in Christ Jesus to do good works. I am sure that I am doing good. I have no ill intention towards others. By the grace of Christ, I am empowered to do good. Learning from Christ and His ministry, I would know how to do good. I would like to encourage each one of us to be thinking of how we can be doing good to each other in the Body of Christ, building each other up rather than tearing down, encouraging rather than discouraging, strengthening rather than weakening!

Let us together pursue Christ and His goodness. Let us reflect His goodness to those around us for their good and encouragements. Let us proclaim Christ to others so that they may be graciously brought into the Kingdom of Light. Amen. Let me encourage us through these Bible verses: “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” (Hebrews 13:15-16 NIV1984).