Article By Naomi Asher // EEW Magazine // Inspiration

Acts 10:38 reminds us that Jesus “went about doing good,” focusing His attention on the oppressed and those who were often overlooked by others.

If you want to be more like Jesus, you should look for ways to do good, too! You’ll be surprised by how a small act of kindness has a huge positive impact on someone’s life.

Here are 5 suggestions for you:

#1 Volunteer: Whether you lend a helping hand at your local church or get involved in a community program that could use extra assistance, God is pleased when you sacrifice your time and talents to benefit others. When you reach out to those in need, without expecting to receive anything it return, it is a gratifying experience. Also, God will look upon it favorably and bless you.

#2 Visit the sick. If you have ever been ill long-term, you know how lonely, scary and unpleasant it feels. How about going to visit someone and spending a little time letting them know you care? You don’t have to stay long. Your presence, if only for a few brief moments, is a gift. Even though you don’t have the power to cure their disease, you certainly can pray for them, sit with them, offer to make a meal or run an errand, and make sure they know they are not alone.

#3 Donate to a good cause. Sowing a financial seed is a great way to majorly impact a nonprofit, charity or other community initiative. Whether you give out of your abundance, or out of your own need, Proverbs 19:17 assures you that, “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done.”  In Luke 21:1-4, the poor widow could only afford to give a penny, but Jesus was still pleased because she gave sacrificially.

#4 Speak a word of encouragement. It’s absolutely free to speak good things into someone’s life, lift their spirits and brighten their day. Pray and ask God to lead you to a person who may be feeling down and give you what to say to motivate them to keep pressing forward. After all, each of us needs to hear an encouraging word from time to time, don’t we? You could pass along a devotional, card, say something nice under their photo online, share an uplifting article you read, or a scripture. It’s so easy!

#5 Give something you own away. If you have you have been blessed with nice things, it never hurts to give some of those things away. Don’t be miserly and hoard all of your blessings. Rather, pick out something desirable that you would actually love to keep and pass it along to someone else. You can visit a local thrift store, charity or pay a personal visit to someone you know would genuinely appreciate that gift. When you give things away, you are also clearing out space for God to bless you more abundantly.

There are many more ways to give to others. Let these examples inspire you to find your own methods of doing good. Any act of kindness, no matter how small, when it is done with a pure heart, is never wasted. Blessings come to those that bless others.

Remember Luke 6:38: “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap…”