“What did you do today?” This is a question that all parents ask their school going children. Well, most parents, anyway. I’m sure there are parents out there who don’t ask. But most parents care that their children do something meaningful or learn something valuable each day. And so we ask, “What did you do today?”
In a sense, this is a question which all of us ought to ask ourselves as well. Each day is a gift from God. Each day is a day filled with promise and opportunity. Did we make good use of it? Did we do something good for ourselves or for someone else?
Hopefully, we did not waste it.
By the way, resting, recuperating and relaxing are not necessarily ‘a waste of a day’. It is necessary to put a day a week aside just to rest and rejoice. God commands us so in the fourth commandment:
12 “‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. (Deuteronomy 5:12–14)
For the other six days, our waking hours are to be spent wisely. The founder of Methodism, John Wesley, had this piece of advice for church helpers:
“Be diligent. Never be unemployed. Never be triflingly employed. Never while away time, nor spend more time at any place than is strictly necessary.”
That may be a difficult act to follow, but at the very least, it’s a great objective to aim for.
It would be absolutely fantastic, if all of us did not waste a single minute doing something less than profitable. If we can aim for and hit what Wesley set for his followers, it’d be terrific. It would certainly be a worthy aim for all of us!
I’m sure there are those among us who have that aim, and that there are some who actually achieve that aim regularly, if not daily. I salute you. You are doing good. Keep at it and be a blessing!
For the rest of us, I want to encourage us to at least do one good thing every day. Perhaps we can start by doing good to others.
We could pray for them.
… I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, (1 Timothy 2:1).
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (James 5:16)
We could pray for those people who have asked for prayer, or for those whom God reminds us of, or even those whom God suddenly places in our consciousness. Pray for God’s protection, provision and peace. Pray also for comfort, healing, wisdom and guidance for the person.
How about raising that bar just a little bit? Why not send a message to someone who may not be doing so well or have not contacted for some time? Or even better, calling them on the phone? I have the privilege of calling members on the phone from time to time. I can tell that they are most glad to receive a call. I am sure that your call will mean something to those whom you call. It will bring them joy to know that you cared enough to call.
Of course, the best contact of all would be to visit someone personally.
34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ (Matthew 25:34–40)
Not all of us would have the time and the means, but the vast majority of us can actually carve out a piece of our time to give this wonderful blessing of a personal visit. I also realise that there are some restrictions given our current Circuit Breaker guidelines. But we can still visit and break the loneliness and boredom for some of our friends who find it difficult to leave home. Do some good to our friends who may not have many visitors.
So, “What did I do today?”
Let us do good to others daily. And if we daily do good and the will of God, we will, in the end, when we stand in front of the Lord, hear him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Rev David Gwee