Do Good to Everyone
“If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that.”
Luke 6:33 - MSG
Everyone? Jesus tells us to love everyone and do good to everyone. Biblical love isn't simply warm feelings; it's choosing another person's highest good. Most of us can do this. But there are people that are really hard to like, aren’t there? And yet, we are instructed by the Lord to do good to them too. So, let’s take a closer look at doing good to everyone.
If you examine it closely, there’s something beautifully simple about Jesus’ words in today’s verse. He reminds us that doing good only to those who treat us well isn’t the kind of “doing good” that marks a life shaped by God. The willingness to extend goodness even when nothing is offered in return—even when evil is returned instead. This is what God wants from us. This is what sets a true Follower of Jesus apart from the rest of the world; the willingness to extend goodness even when nothing is offered in return. Even when evil is present.
This is the quiet, steady love Jesus lived every day. He didn’t wait for people to earn His compassion. He didn’t measure who deserved His help. He simply gave—freely, generously, and without keeping score. And He invites us into that same way of living.
Today’s verse nudges us toward a wider circle of kindness. It encourages us to look beyond the familiar faces who already care for us and notice the people who might never repay our patience, generosity, or grace. When we choose to do good to everyone—friends, strangers, and even those who challenge us—we reflect the heart of God more clearly than we realize.
This kind of goodness is quiet but powerful. It softens hard places. It opens doors. It plants seeds of hope. And it reminds us that love is most like Christ when it expects nothing in return. When it does the right thing just because it is the right thing to do.
Today, let’s take a close look at the person in the mirror. Let’s remind ourselves that we have the precious Holy Spirit living within us and empowering us to do good even when it seems difficult. Let’s remember that God is love and love lives in us. Now let's go and let His love shine through us in a world that desperately needs Him.
Prayer
Lord, help me to love with open hands today. Teach me to do good without waiting for anything to come back. Let my kindness reflect Your heart, reaching beyond what feels easy or familiar. Fill me with Your grace so I can offer it freely to everyone I meet.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
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