Follower of Jesus here is another verse from the Apostle Paul's letter to Titus reminding us of the importance of good works.
"And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful." Titus 3:14
In this verse, Paul clearly implies that not to maintain good works and meet urgent needs is to be unfruitful.
Now don't mix up what he is talking about here! He is not referring to purchasing unnecessary things for your church; in many cases, that's not an urgent need. I hate to say it, but some church leaders are great at spending God's money, given by His people, on frivolous things.
In this verse, Paul is writing about meeting real needs in real people's lives. Some churches and church leaders do this really well, and I commend them for that. Some Christians do too, and God will reward them in heavenly ways!
Unfortunately, many Christians close their eyes to the needs around them and on the mission fields of the world. That's why they consistently feel unfruitful. Let's face it; whenever we focus on building our own kingdom instead of God's Kingdom, life remains dull and unfruitful. Living for God is supposed to be somewhat daring, dangerous, and difficult! It is supposed to involve some level of sacrifice! Right?
The good news is that regardless of our economic status, we can do the things Paul talks about in this letter. Good works aren't always about money and providing things. It is often about investing time in people's lives or doing practical things by volunteering our time to do what others can't do for themselves. God provides these opportunities for us all! When He does, we must learn to say yes even when it is inconvenient to us.
Let's take a moment and examine our hearts regarding good works and meeting urgent needs. Then, let's make a God-directed, Holy Spirit enabled, Jesus loving effort to be fruitful with our time and all that God has entrusted to us. God bless you today as you love and serve the Lord Jesus Christ!