Because We Can

A little voice reminded me that I should do good works because I can.

My family just returned from a week at the beach. We had a nice time. The little condo we stayed at had a plant out on the deck. It wasn’t in very good shape. It was quite wilted from lack of water.

I asked myself who would leave a plant out at a vacation spot knowing it would not likely get watered. Not to mention that it sat right in the middle of the deck. The little plant nagged at me and I eventually went and got it some water which it soaked up immediately.

I was quite surprised to see how quickly it perked up. It looked like it might even live. I watered it a couple of other times, each time asking myself what the point was, thinking that the people who were renting the place the next week, might not water it and let it die.

Why did I feel so compelled to care for this plant that wasn’t even mine?

As I was watering it on my last day there, I felt an answer gently whispering to my heart, “Because you can.”

That was of course the answer all along. I watered the plant because I could. It was hardly any effort on my part, to fill a glass up at the sink and walk it out to the plant. But, it was life saving to the plant.

I think we often find ourselves wrestling with the notion of whether or not we should offer our help in different situations. We tell ourselves that we didn’t cause the problem and so it’s not our responsibility. We tell ourselves that the problem is so huge that our little contribution won’t matter anyway.

While those may be valid points on an earthly scale, we sometimes forget as Christians, that the Kingdom of God works on an entirely different currency. Jesus showed us with fishes and loaves, that whatever we have, no matter how meager, when put in God’s hands is always more than enough.

I have heard it argued that while Jesus’ number one reason for healing the sick was to glorify God, that He also healed because people in pain or in need, moved Him. He intervened; He healed because He could.

That reasoning fits with everything I know about our Savior.

The Bible tells us, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

We are not saved by good works, but our faith calls us to do them, because Jesus did them, because they glorify God, and because we can.

A little wilted plant reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂