Doing Good | AdventAI

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Apr 19, 1883

Doing Good.

IN the excitement and whirl of existence the days pass and opportunities pass. While wearied and worn at night one lies down sometimes with the feeling as though very little real good had been accomplished. The great work of life has been left all undone.

Yet probably in no life does the day come and go but some opportunity for making some fellow-being stronger, purer, and better has been offered.

And if, at the close of life, we would truly feel and know that the mission of our life has been accomplished, it will only be by letting no opportunity for right action slip by us; no opportunity which the Holy Spirit shall incite us to seize upon as our proper work. For, without the direct guidance of the Holy Ghost, much well-meant but misdirected and misguided effort will be undertaken.

It is the consecrated soul which always finds the right opportunities. First, to drink from the fountain-head, and then to give of the healing water to other thirsty ones, is the Christian's life work. And to those who are truly willing to do that work which is given them of their heavenly Father, the ways are constantly being opened up in which they may work for him acceptably. Every opportunity which offers is a fresh incentive to prayer first, then effort afterward. Effort first and prayer afterward is not the best way to economize force or strength, or to make the most and the best of opportunities that may arise.

But the truly zealous soul will seek for guidance in every matter which arises and claims a share of attention, putting by nothing without commending it to the care of his heavenly Father, and thus seizing in the true and proper spirit upon every opportunity for doing good, meanwhile enlarging his own mind and soul, and thereby laying up many treasures in Heaven.

The same opportunity never offers twice. Another may be given equally important, perhaps, yet it is not the same, and never can be. Therefore the duty of the hour is the one to be seized upon as the one pressing and important for the hour. Crises and mighty occasions are but the culminations of many little and seemingly unimportant details, all of which need attention in their proper place and order. The watch-word of all loyal and true-hearted followers of Jesus ought therefore to be, "the duty of the hour," or, in the language of the apostle, "Doing good as ye have opportunity."—Sel.