Be Good Anyway
There are some things in this world that when they happen, you’re reminded (or you finally understand) that God is real and so is my work here on this earth. For me and thus far in June, I have been reminded of God’s sovereignty through the gifts he has his given me as a healer and therapist. I have been given the gift of c o m p a s s i o n (READ: the gift of… supporting foster parents in ending a placement due to their insecurities in parenting an immensely kind child, the gift of… bridging the valley of differences between my now-present father and my sister, the gift of… loaning money to someone who later took advantage, and the gift of… comforting two of my close friends, who don’t even know each other, in the loss of their mothers after losing my mother two years ago, etc. because I could go on). Needless to say, I’ve being doing a lot of emotional labor lately to both take care of others and take care of myself; I have been angry, I have been anxious, I have been prideful, I have been planful, I have been impulsive, I have been hurt. I have been feverishly seeking his wisdom (in Proverbs more specifically), and I’ve been asking God what to do about it all, the problems and the feelings. Today, He told me to tell me and you, Be Good Anyway.
There’s this powerful set of proverbs called The Paradoxical Commandments, created by Kent Keith and misattributed to Mother Theresa. The commandments implore us to make LOVE the answer, no matter the question OR the problem; that you must always choose to do what is right and good and true; that the glory is in YOU and who you CHOOSE to BE. Paul said the same thing in Romans 12 in his letter to the Romans as he sought to establish and instruct them their faith.
v. 1 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is true and proper worship.”
v. 9 “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourself.
vs. 14-15 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
v. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
v. 21 “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Sometimes, I take for granted how simply God has communicated how we ought to live our lives, hold our hearts, and clear our minds, but it’s right there. In a moment of anger and frustration, the Holy Spirit led me right here to the book of Romans and convicted me to “…not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of [my] your mind.”
My mommy used to remind me, particularly after a heartbreak, that I shouldn’t fret about having a heart so big, though I often would wish it smaller. God, however, reminds me that He gave me my heart and my compassion to do His will, that I am called to be the good that He has placed in me by way of His spirit, and that he has the power to sustain me.
In wrongdoing, God has the vengeance.
In anger, God feels your pain and is pained by your hurt.
In mourning, God is comfort.
I sit and write this in anger at my father while simultaneously sitting in heartache for my oldest friend and the loss of his mother. I also sit in an eternal knowing that compassion and honor change things. By choosing to love and be love daily, hourly, and sometimes in 30-second intervals with some folks, you’re choosing the good. You are literally choosing life over death. Do that anyway.
