The danger of being (and doing) good

I recently watched 23,000 Lives on Netflix. It tells the true story of a group of ordinary people who chose to do what was good - saving lives from drowning at sea.

But their efforts came at enormous personal cost. Going to sea and voluntarily facing physical dangers without training or support is already a sacrifice. But to then be dragged into a seven-year trial that consumed a lot of time and money just because they wanted to save lives ..... I'm speechless. It really struck home that goodness isn't always rewarded (even though we often assume that it is .... it's what I teach my kids!).

History tells a different story. The people who stand against injustice are often criticised, if not punished. Those who speak the truth often become outcasts and are persecuted. Those who protect the vulnerable frequently become targets themselves.

Goodness has always made darkness uncomfortable .... a fact that is even more true for a follower of Jesus.

Abel simply brought God his best offering. He wasn't looking for conflict. Yet his faithfulness provoked jealousy, and his own brother murdered him. Moses obeyed God's call and spent forty years leading a people who constantly wanted to turn back. David was anointed king but spent years running for his life. John the Baptist lost his head. The apostles were beaten, imprisoned, and many were executed.

And Jesus Himself - the only truly innocent person who has ever lived - was crucified.

Being (and doing) good isn't synonymous with having an easy life. In fact, it often means the opposite.

Jesus never hid this reality from His followers. "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first." (John 15:18)

He didn't invite us into comfort. He invited us to carry a cross.

That feels so foreign in a culture where we instinctively measure God's favour by how comfortable our lives are. If something is difficult, I wonder if I've missed His will. If people oppose me, I question if I've done something wrong.

But perhaps opposition isn't always a sign we've wandered off the path. Sometimes it's evidence that we're walking the same road Jesus walked.

So the next time you choose integrity over compromise, when you forgive rather than retaliate, when you protect the vulnerable at your own expense, when you speak the truth with courage .... these choices may not make you comfortable or popular.

Do them anyway. The gospel never promised an easy life. But it did promise a faithful Saviour who's worth it.

And one day, when He comes again, all will be made right and good will prevail.