Let God stir up goodness

Hello and welcome to Thought for the Week. I like Christmas pudding. Do you? Next Sunday is traditionally known as “Stir Up Sunday”.

It became associated with the time of year when people would stir up their Christmas pudding mixture, but that’s not the reason for the name, which comes from the fact that the special prayer for that Sunday in the Church of England prayer book begins: “Stir up, we beseech you, O Lord, the wills of your faithful people; that they,

plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works….”

Christians need God to stir them up to do good works.

We can never turn ourselves into Christians by doing good works – our good works don’t even approach the perfection of goodness necessary, so we must rely on the perfection of Jesus for that. However, good works should be a fruit of being a Christian.

Paul wrote to Christians at Ephesus:

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians chapter 2, verse 10)

We can read in Acts chapter 9 about Dorcas, who is described as being “full of good works”.

Paul told the Thessalonian Christians that they should not get weary of doing good.

But of course, the Christian’s greatest example in good works is Jesus Himself, Who we are told went about doing good.

If you are a Christian, I am sure that you will realise the importance of God “stirring you up” to do good works.

They are a necessary fruit, not an optional extra, of being a Christian.

Remember how Jesus told His first disciples: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew chapter 5, verse 16)

If you are not yet a Christian, my prayer for you is that God would “stir you up” to believe on His Son. God bless you all!

David Lamb is a South Devon-based lay Baptist preacher.