Be A Do-gooder

Be a Do-Gooder

Isn’t the English language fun? You can see a letter C while sailing on the sea. Or how would you like to draw a two, too? There are even these weird words called contranyms that can mean the opposite of themselves.

For example, you can clip something together or clip it off. Dusting can mean to remove dust (when cleaning the house) or to apply dust (when looking for fingerprints). An object can move fast and hold fast, which are quite different. The same is true with bolt. You can bolt something down so it doesn’t move or bolt when you quickly run away from a situation. Off is often a funny word. You can turn off your alarm clock to make things quiet, or your alarm can go off to make things loud.

Then there’s the word bad. For years bad was bad. But in the late twentieth century, bad suddenly became good. When someone said, “That’s bad,” she meant “That’s cool.” It’s too bad that bad turned good, because that’s pretty confusing.

Language is a reflection of society. As society slips further away from God’s laws, our words can get even more crass and confusing. In this age of tolerance, holding on to biblical standards can be looked at as bad. But God doesn’t want you to be confused. By his standards, bad is always bad.

In the book of Romans, the apostle Paul wrote, “Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good” (12:9). God wants us to act according to what’s right. His standard is the only one that matters.

By believing in the truth of God’s Word, Christians are sometimes viewed as closed-minded “haters.” At times it can feel like loosening our standards and ignoring parts of the Bible would make life easier. But that would be wrong. Instead we should strive to do what is good.

Daddy-Daughter Time

Are there any areas of your life where wrong attitudes or actions have seeped in? Do you always hold tightly to what is good in the movies you watch, the music you listen to, the websites you visit, the words you speak, and the relationships you keep? Commit to living a good life, even when it may cause bad things to happen to you.

Now get a piece of paper and see if you can come up with any other contranyms.

What’s The Word?

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.   Romans 12:9