Doing Good

In golf, there are times the course enforces a rule that you can only use the golf cart on the paved path instead of being able to drive the cart across the fairway.

Let’s say you decided not to follow this rule and drive your cart on the grass anyway. The course superintendent approaches you and reprimands you for breaking the rules. You apologize for breaking the rule, but instead of moving your cart to the path, you just leave it there. You have apologized for your wrongdoing but have done nothing to correct your mistake.

Frequently, this is how we repent of our sins with God. We know the rules and how God expects us to live. But sometimes we decide not to listen; thus, when we are caught or feel convicted, we go to God and repent our sins, but we don’t change anything else.

If repentance is the end of our action, it is like getting up and leaving your cart where it is not supposed to be. Isaiah paints us a picture of what true repentance looks like. There is conviction, repentance and then action. Instead of stopping at repentance, you’re called to do good and pursue God through your actions.

The right thing to do with the golf cart is to return it to the path. But just like leaving the cart on the grass, we often leave our souls and spirits stuck in the same situation that caused us to sin in the first place. Instead of moving ourselves closer to God by doing good, we just stop at saying sorry.

Do you know what happens if you continue to stay near where you sinned before? You are more likely to return to that sin. That is why God calls us to action: the more action we do toward building God’s kingdom, the closer we grow to the Lord.