There is something striking about the way a person’s life can become a blessing without them constantly announcing it. When a hungry person gets in touch with such people, he finds food. A confused person finds clarity when he encounters someone like that. A stranger meets them and leaves feeling seen. They notice what is broken, who is hurting, what is missing, and what they can do about it.
That kind of life reminds me of the description given about Jesus in Acts 10:38. That verse emphatically mentions how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and power who went about doing good and healing those oppressed.
When I sat with that phrase, went about doing good, I noticed that Jesus did not wait for people to organise themselves around Him before He became useful to them. He went where people were. He entered their realities. He encountered sickness, hunger, grief, rejection, confusion, poverty, and spiritual oppression and He responded. His goodness was not abstract. It touched real people in different places.
That really challenged me because it is easy to admire goodness from a distance. We can talk about compassion, generosity and service, share inspiring quotes and even participate in occasional charitable acts. However, we have to ask ourselves a more uncomfortable question. What does our presence actually do for the people whose lives intersect with ours?
Well, throughout this month, Daily Grace has taught inter- alia, giving, helping, boundaries, motives, dependence and power. Through these reflective pieces, I have learned that goodwill is far more complex than simply having a kind heart.
I realised that sometimes I can give just to be recognised, help in ways that create dependence, exhaust myself trying to meet every need. Sometimes too, I can intervene when I should step back. I have understood that the goal is not to do good things per se, but to become someone whose decisions, resources, relationships, and influence are increasingly directed towards the good of others.
Jesus’ example also helps me understand that doing good does not mean solving every problem. He healed some people, fed others, taught crowds, restored dignity to the rejected and challenged the systems of hypocrisy . He did not meet every need in every place, but wherever he went, he did good. This teaches me that I do not need to carry the weight of the entire world before I can contribute to it. Meaningful contributions can be checking on someone who has withdrawn, paying attention when everyone is rushing, giving money when it is genuinely needed, or teaching a young person something I learned the hard way.
Another important aspect of Acts 10:38 that moves me has to do with the fact that before Jesus went about doing good, He was anointed with the Holy Ghost and power. This connotes that He was empowered, strengthened and divinely inspired. This is because doing good comes with a lot of challenges. And if you have not built the capacity to withstand the betrayals, emotional hurts, or sabotage from some of the very people you are being good to, you may end up breaking down or giving up.
This constantly reminds me that there are seen and unseen battles associated with goodwill. Therefore, I must prepare for them spiritually, psychologically, emotionally, and physically. Always remember that no matter how good, gracious or kind you are, you will still have your fair share of what I call the ‘they say syndrome’. Some people will misrepresent you, others will castigate you, and many will call you names.
In conclusion, I would like to say as the month comes to an end, let’s not let our goodwill end in August. We should let it become a daily discipline. Of course, there will be moments that gratitude will not come. There will be times you will not be given the due credit. In fact, there are people who may never mention what you did for them.
Nonetheless, like Jesus, let’s go about doing good. I’m not talking about performative or reckless ones. Let us do it with wisdom without controlling or humiliating people. This, ladies and gentlemen, is how to leave people, places, and situations better than when we met them.
Ready to turn goodwill into action?
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