Do Good To All People

 
“Now the one who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with the one who teaches it. Do not be deceived. God will not be made a fool. For a person will reap what he sows, because the person who sows to his own flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. So we must not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who belong to the family of faith.” Galatians 6:6-10 NET

It is essential to consider that we are all teachers who affect others in different ways through our words or actions daily, either positively or negatively. Those who are our teachers in the faith should be held to a higher standard, for they represent God in what they teach or model, and we should emulate them in either word or deed. Paul strongly suggests we should give to those who freely share their labor or insights regarding instruction or wisdom. In another place, Paul says a workman is worthy of his hire. 1 Timothy 5:18.

This time, however, Paul focuses on the one who receives instruction, not necessarily the one who teaches. So the takeaway isn’t just about poking money down a rat hole to support those in ministry; it is about so much more. Remember that God gives us the ability to make money through our labor or ingenuity by using our minds to create wealth, and using that wealth to support the work of the Spirit is essential to expanding the kingdom of God. It is important to note that just because a person serves in ministry doesn’t arbitrarily mean they are hearing from God, so supporting them isn’t just a given.

Many people in ministry are good people who have good hearts and serve the Lord with good intentions. However, we must exercise discernment in our spiritual journey. We should always ask ourselves, “Is what they teach a fresh word of God, or are they rehashing old stuff that worked in times past but may not be working now?”

Let me elaborate from scripture. When God provided Manna in the desert to the Children of Israel, their inclination was to gather as much Manna for their family as was necessary for them to survive for an extended period; in other words, they were gathering as much as they could to provide food security and confidence in food. But God specifically warned them to gather just enough Manna necessary only for their immediate provision and not to hoard because the Manna would rot and stink after a short time.

This was an object lesson to teach Israelites to keep coming to God for fresh Manna daily. God wanted the children of Israel to trust God for their daily bread and sustenance. Jesus called himself the BREAD of life that came down from heaven. Likewise, we must come to the source of our provision daily to receive from Jesus His direction and guidance as we develop and grow into the people of God, where we can be fed and nourished by fresh Manna daily.

Remember that this is not speaking about eating physical bread as much as it is about our daily relationship with Jesus, partaking of that relationship, and gaining His direction and wisdom. Jesus said whoever does not eat my body and drink my blood has no part with me. (John 6:53) As much as this statement by Jesus is horrifying to consider, He is using it as an analogy or metaphor to get across a valid point; he wants us to take Him into our hearts and minds so that He may speak with us and direct us in way that we could never do on our own. This is accomplished through the Holy Spirit, who reveals Jesus to us and speaks to us about everything that Jesus desires. The Holy Spirit is our intermediary, helper, and friend. (John 14:26)

Discernment is crucial to determining whether a teacher hears God’s fresh word. Is he receiving fresh Manna, or is it old and rotting? Is the teacher speaking the fresh truth of God from the Holy Spirit directly from the scriptures for the new day, or is he repeating sermons from long ago? There is always risk involved when being led by the Holy Spirit. It is a risk to the teacher because they may be misunderstood or viewed as radical. In our day and age, just being a Christian is considered radical.

It is also a risk for us because when we are led by the Holy Spirit, we can also be misunderstood and labeled as radical or even a troublemaker because we are hearing from a different drummer and not going with the flow and opinions of others who usually take a much safer position which does not require risk.

Paul’s exhortation in these verses encourages us to be radical in our walk with Jesus. The principle of reaping what we sow means we must risk sharing the riches of Christ entrusted to our hearts by our daily devotion to hearing Him and sowing His words into the hearts of others, hoping to benefit from a harvest of righteousness. While this may sound selfish, the main benefit is that we can reap a harvest. (Romans 1:11-12) We are called to grow God’s kingdom and invest the treasure that Jesus has given us—this treasure is Jesus Himself. We desire to see Christ manifest in the lives of others so that we may receive spiritual blessings, as that is where we truly grow together.

Paul’s admonition is to do good to all people so that none are left out. God’s kingdom is open to everyone who will receive Him and let Him rule and reign by faith in their hearts and minds. From the beginning, God intended us to all become imagers of God. To use another analogy from Genesis, Eden was to spread over the whole earth, not just in a specific geographical location. God’s kingdom was to expand through His people; this happens when people receive Jesus, Eden is restored, and God’s rule and reign are restored in and through His people, and humanity is restored.

God, the Father, initiated His good plan of salvation to redeem all of humanity back to Himself through His Son, Jesus Christ, thereby restoring us to our rightful place as His sons and daughters. As I mentioned above, this is for everyone, which is why we do good to all people, demonstrating the love and forbearance of God.

Stephen Barnett