The apostle Paul told Titus to “remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work” (Titus 3:1). Part of the work of a gospel preacher is to remind Christians to do good deeds. There are several reasons why you and I need to be “ready for every good work.”
First, there is always a shortage both of good works and of those who will do them. There are plenty of people doing bad things. We hear such stories on the news every day. Since the fall of man, this world has been characterized by sin and evil (Acts 2:40; Eph. 5:16). The world is always in need of good people who will do good things. This is what God expects from His people. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). We have been redeemed by Christ to be “zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14). If we don’t do the good works which God has prepared for us to do, who will? When Jesus looked upon the plight of those who were lost, He said, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (Matt. 9:37-38).
Second, if we aren’t ready to do good works, we will miss the opportunity. Think about it. How many times have opportunities passed us by because we were not prepared? Sometimes Christians are heard to say things like, “I just don’t know how,” or, “I never have the opportunity.” What a shame. There are plenty of opportunities to do good deeds; we just have to find them. Sometimes we have to make these opportunities ourselves. Paul looked for opportunities. He asked the Colossians to pray “for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains” (Col. 4:3).
Third, readiness is a state of mind. Sometimes opportunities pass us by because we aren’t looking for them. Christians are to live in a watchful, alert state. “Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober” (1 Thess. 5:6). Paul told Timothy, “No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier” (2 Tim. 2:4). We all have busy lives, but we should never become so distracted that we lose sight of what is important – serving the Lord. We must never let an opportunity to do good pass us by.
“Ready for every good work.” Does that describe us? According to the Bible, it should. Paul’s continued admonition to Titus applies to us today as well: “And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful” (Titus 3:14).
Heath Rogers