DO ALL THE GOOD YOU CAN

By Matt Kinnell

Matthew 25:31-46 is perhaps one of the most sobering passages in all of Scripture. It is one of the most specific discussions of ultimate judgment, pulling back the curtain on a difficult truth: whatever we have done to our fellow humans, we have done to Jesus. And whatever we have failed to do for our fellow humans, we have failed to do for Jesus. This truth has been a driving factor in Christian ministry throughout the years.

This truth is difficult to live out in the real world because it leads us to an important question: How far do we take this? Who exactly are we responsible for? We certainly can’t feed all who are hungry, clothe all who are naked, or visit all who are sick; it’s impossible. But too often, Christians acknowledge the immensity of the task and take the easy way out: There are so many sick and hungry people that we can’t really make a difference, so I’ll just take care of me and mine and trust God to handle everyone else.

John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, developed a helpful guide for this conundrum. He called it his “Rule for Christian Living.” It goes like this:

“Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as you ever can.”

Wesley’s rule is a helpful paradigm that challenges us to be what Jesus has called us to be while acknowledging and working within our human limitations.

Do all the good you can

Doing good is one of the marks of a Christian life. It is one of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Paul told the Ephesians that we were made to do good and we were saved to do good (Ephesians 2:10). As Christians we should do as much good as we can.

By all the means you can

As Christians, we recognize that nothing we have is truly ours—everything belongs to God. Are we being good stewards of what He has given us? Of course there are things we need for the survival and flourishing of our families, and God does not begrudge us the enjoyment of the fruits of our labors. But how much do we need? There is no formula or easy answer. Rather than asking “How much is too much to keep?” or “How much is enough to give?”, the question at the heart of the matter is this: “What am I holding onto because I am afraid that I will not have enough?”

In all the ways you can

No matter how hard we try, there are some things we will never be good at. But one of the beautiful things about the body of Christ is: the gifts that one does not have, another brother or sister does have. Even if you can’t sing, preach, fix a toilet, or cook, you are good at something that can be employed for the good of others. Find what you are good at, and put it to use in the service of the Kingdom!

In all the places you can

God calls some to serve in faraway places, but many of us will never travel that far. That doesn’t mean we can’t serve Jesus right where we are. Wherever you encounter people, show them the love and kindness of Jesus. Even if you are unable to leave your own home, you can pray, call, write, and encourage from right where you are. You do not have to serve God in places you cannot be. Serve Him where you are!

At all the times you can

In our lives, there will be times of lean and times of plenty. There will be times when we need to give more and times when we need to save. There will be times when we need to minister and times when we need to be ministered to. The problem is that we humans are very good at coming up with reasons why now is a bad time:

“I can’t give God His tithe, because I’ve got too many bills to pay.”

“I don’t have time to visit my elderly neighbor, because I’ve just got too much going on. “I’ll help out when I’m not quite so busy.”

Most of the time, we can do more than we think we can.

To all the people you can

We can’t help every person in the world. We can’t feed every hungry child, bandage every wound, or visit every prisoner. We can’t even pray for every person individually. But there are people in our sphere of influence every day that we have opportunities to serve. Some people are harder to love than others. But if it is in our capacity to do good, even to those we don’t like, who knows what good may come of it?

As long as you ever can

Galatians 6:9 reminds us, “Do not grow weary in doing good.” No person reading this has outlived their ability to minister to others. The expiration date on our ability to serve is rarely as soon as we think it is.

Seeing Jesus in “the least of these” is a revolutionary way to view the world. It’s challenging, and can even feel overwhelming. But God doesn’t ask us to do the impossible. Ask Him for help. Ask Him for wisdom. Then go and do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can.

Matt Kinnell grew up in the Kentucky Mountain Holiness Association as a “campus kid” on the grounds of Mount Carmel School (mchs4u.com). He is an alumnus of Kentucky Mountain Bible College and a graduate of Asbury University, where he earned a B.A. in Social Studies. Matt serves as pastor of The Christian Life Church of Milton, Kentucky, and as Chairman of the Board for New Hope International Ministries. He is also employed as a manager at the Jessamine County Public Library. Matt and his wife, Amy, who works in the field of adoption, have three children born in Ethiopia.