Beauty and goodness surround us. But we cannot take this for granted. We have a duty to protect the good and play our part in redeeming what we can of God’s original glory throughout our life and relationships.
To be sure, we like to live quiet and peaceable lives whenever we can – to simply enjoy time with our family and friends and to not concern ourselves with the weightier matters of life. And, to be fair, we do often become overly concerned with the affairs of this world.
But while we don’t want worry and anxiety to get the best of us, more is required of us than sitting on the sidelines. And part of our calling to bring more life and goodness into the world includes protecting that which is already here.
For instance, this might be protecting the innocence of our kids – not to shelter them from the harsh realities of life, but rather to create the space for them to thrive without undue negative influences choking out the goodness in their tender hearts.
In marriage, this might be fighting for time together and ways to nurture our bond so that busyness and neglect don’t slowly erode the goodness of our union together.
Likewise, in our communities we must be willing to speak up and resist any forces that seek to steal, kill, and destroy the beauty, freedom, and life God has so richly given us.
Certainly, there’s much in this world not as it should be and we become ineffective when we try to do it all. But we have our part to play and we allow the world to become a bit darker and more corrupt when we don’t.
Don’t waste goodness or let it be choked out by your neglect. Protect the good and let life flourish because of your strength.
