The headline for the million holiday leaflets printed by Russian charity Mercy Capital Foundation had a simple message: “Do good!”  Or at least that is what it was supposed to say. The printer made a typographical error, and the headline, in Russian, said not “Do good!” but “Exterminate Beavers!” The print shop refused to reprint the leaflets with the correct wording, because as they said, no one would notice the typo. Maybe “Exterminate Beavers!” and “Do Good!” are similarly spelled in Russian, but you could hardly get a more opposite idea, unless of course, it is your trees that the beavers are destroying (WORLD, October 29, 2016, p. 13).

You can’t go wrong with the admonition to “Do Good!” Surely that would please the Master. As Peter summarized the ministry of Christ to the household of Cornelius, he said that God was preaching peace by Jesus Christ, “who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him” (Acts 10:36-38).

Would Peter describe your life as one of preaching peace and going about doing good?  Are you bringing people closer to the Lord and His church? Are you walking with Him or against Him?

After Zacchaeus demonstrated his repentance, Jesus said, “This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). In the temple at 12, Jesus said, “Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business” (Luke 2:49). And the Father’s business meant that He was going about doing good.

We must be doing good, even if the world does not appreciate us.

“If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.  Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf” (1 Peter 4:14-16).

Ultimately, as we go about doing good, the purpose is not so that we may be glorified, but that God will be glorified. “Ye are the light of the world. … Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5: 14, 16).

Do good, and leave the beavers alone!