Doing Good

                                 Blessed are those who comply with His testimonies,

And seek Him with all their heart.
They also do no injustice;
They walk in His ways. (Psalm 119:2-3)

 

          According to the study note for this passage, “testimonies” may also be translated “provisions.” This irks me, because I like my definitions to be concise and precise, and to me, testimonies and provisions don’t mean the same thing. At the same time, we must not forget that we are talking about God, for whom saying and doing are one in the same. That doesn’t mean that when He says, He also does, so that they happen at the same time as a matter of course, but that what He says, He carries out at some point and according to His love and wisdom. His saying may also be the doing, as “’Let there be light,’ and there was light.”

          There is also the idea of the will, in which the concept of a will or a legal agreement as a testimony (a formal or written statement, especially one given in a court of law.) In such a document, provisions can be and often are made for various parties.

          Some further consideration of the idea of a will or legal agreement needs to be considered here, because we tend to think of wills as being documents in which the benefactor leaves to the heir some portion of the benefactor’s belongings, and nothing more. But historically have been much more directive. The heir might only receive the inheritance after a certain birthday. Or, as was the case of the will of one of my distant relatives, the heirs only received an inheritance if they continued to work their father’s farm until they were of a certain age, thus guaranteeing the father a labor force into his old age.

So, those who live in accordance with the legal agreement God has made with them, who look to Him for their provision according to said testimony, are happy. They seek Him with all their heart – their will. They do no injustice, for that is what violating His testimony would be. They walk in His ways. They live in a manner that fulfills their part of the legal agreement.

         Some people say that doing something in order to get the reward or reap the benefit given for it is self-serving and morally repugnant. We should do it merely because it’s the good, right, loving, kind, proper thing to do. I agree. We should do good because it’s good, without any reward. The problem is that doing good can feel good. Should we only do good if it makes us miserable? Doing good is the cake. If someone wants to add frosting, should I scrape the frosting off? Refuse it? Or enjoy it? Must I be unhappy in the good thing that I have done if there is good in it?

          We should do good whether there is a reward in it or not, but if offered a reward, we need not refuse it. And ultimately, we’ll feel good about it, whether there is a reward or not.