To Do Good Is the Business of Life
A quote from Benjamin Rush
Written by Dale Ebel
[Romans 14:7-8 ESV] – 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.
Declaration signer Benjamin Rush fully understood this teaching and therefore labored to serve those around him, encouraging others to do the same in their own spheres of influence. For example, he told his close friend John Dickinson, a signer of the Constitution for whom Rush had founded Dickinson College:
“But remember, my dear friend, that none ‘liveth to himself’ (Romans 14:7 KJV). Even our old age is not our own property. All its fruits of wisdom and experience belong to the public. To do good is the business of life. To enjoy rest is the happiness of Heaven. We pluck premature forbidden fruit when we grasp at rest on this side of the grave.”
Many of the godly people I interact with on a consistent basis talk about how they wish the rapture would take place. I understand how someone can say this when they are suffering but not if we are still healthy. It is quite amazing to me how preoccupied Christian people are with the desire to leave earth and be with the Lord in the pre-heaven. To me, this resonates with—dare I say it—an expression of Christian narcissism (selfishness). My number one priority is not to leave this earth to be with the Lord; it is to please the Lord Jesus Christ and do everything I can to honor Him while I still have the time and health.
Opening the door of history, I reverence (highly esteem) Benjamin Rush. Please read with me this wise man’s ultimate goal in life:
“To spend, and be spent, for the good of mankind is what I chiefly aim at.”
I am reminded of three of my favorite verses in the book of Acts.
[Acts 10:38-40 NASB95] – 38 “[You know of] Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and [how] He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 39 We are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross. 40 God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible.”
From these verses I am reminded:
- To spend my days doing good in the Name of Jesus Christ and to extend His righteousness in every encounter I have.
- Of the sober truth that even though the Lord Jesus Christ consistently did good, He was tortured to death on the cross. Simply because we do biblical good does not mean everyone will like us. 😀
- That He broke the power of death, and therefore we will live eternally serving Christ in His presence! Selah which means, ponder such thoughts!!
DO GOOD WITH OUR WORDS AND DEEDS
IN WORDS – Examples to get you jump-started
[Proverbs 16:24 KJV] – 24 Pleasant words [are as] a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
Express gratitude, provide recognition, offer appropriate praise, express thankfulness, and verbally express gratitude face to face for a good action.
Other examples:
- People regularly say, “I’m trying.” My response: “Well, you are succeeding!”
- A simple “Thank you!”
- “You have a gracious disposition.”
- “You are so kind.”
- “You are a wonderful person,” and/or “You are an extraordinary person.”
- “Your impact is far-reaching.”
- “You are succeeding.”
- “Your smile is contagious.”
- Freely express affirmations.
- “Keep going until you are gone.”
- “Talk’s cheap; actions speak.”
- “You are a great example, and you inspire and motivate me. Thank you!”
- Brag to someone else, in front of a person, about something they have done.
- Demonstrate your care for someone by listening to them without attempting to fix them.
- Acknowledge well-meaning intentions.
IN DEEDS – Examples you are probably already doing
[Colossians 3:17 KJV] – 17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
- Pray out loud for someone on the spot.
- Give someone a helping hand.
- Give financially to a person in need.
- Invest your money in organizations that are attempting to change our culture.
- Enlist and ask Christians to vote.
- Help someone move, do their yard work, shop for them, or fill their car up with gas.
- Buy a person something they need on Amazon and have it sent to their house.
- Invite people to your home for dessert.
- Take someone out for lunch.
- Write a handwritten note of recognition or appreciation.
- Pray over the phone with someone.
- Wherever you are, place your hand on a person’s shoulder and pray for healing when they are hurting.
- A Slight Digression: The Value of the Heroic
There seems to be something within the human heart that naturally responds to stories of heroes like Benjamin Rush. They can be deeply encouraging and inspiring, for they provide heroic examples that call forth from us a powerful desire to be good and to be heroic ourselves. Venerating these great men and women who helped shape our Republic has inspired me toward similar greatness in my character, my actions, and the godly legacy I wish to leave.
The Devaluing of the Heroic
Since roughly the 1960s, public expressions of the heroic, whether in stories or other artworks, have effectively disappeared. America decided that it made more sense to be suspicious of heroes than to venerate them. The lessons of the Vietnam War and Watergate sent the general message that we shouldn’t trust our leaders and that our previous trust in them had been largely misplaced. The slogan “Question Authority” suddenly bloomed everywhere, and even that imperative seemed less to mean that we should rightly question authority to determine whether it was legitimate than to question the idea of authority altogether, as though all authority and truth claims were the cynical schemes of old men clinging to power. A kind of forced egalitarianism (the doctrine that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities) made its way into the culture and has been with us ever since. Venerating heroes is generally not something we do much anymore, if at all. It has become fashionable either to ignore them or to denigrate them for their faults.
This misapplied egalitarianism is now prominent in the evangelical churches here in the Northwest, as they minimize the role of strong, charismatic male leaders and display an insatiable desire to have women as pastors. Clearly, for these churches, the culture is adjusting the teachings of Scripture. When Christ-followers stand up, speak up, present the correct understanding of the Scriptures, and vote with their pocketbooks and presence, there will be—and there are—redemptive advancements. I know of such examples, and it is deeply rewarding. Give me a call and I will tell you about some.
Our Christ-Centered Mission
Jesus Christ began His public ministry in the synagogue in Nazareth, when He read publicly from the scroll of the book of Isaiah. Those Scriptures were Isaiah 61:1-2, and the story of His ministry’s beginning is found in Luke 4:18-19.
So, It Begins
[Luke 4:20-22 NASB95] – 20 And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”
Friends, I get chills when I read these passages! I wish I had been there, don’t you?
Christ was announcing His mission: He was sent by God to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah, and His ministry would therefore involve spreading the Good News of the Kingdom of God, proclaiming liberty and freedom, and healing people’s hurts. This is also our mission, for “as He is, so also are we in this world” (1 John 4:17).
[1 John 4:17 NASB95] – 17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.
Venerating Another American Hero – John Quincy Adams
Founding Father John Quincy Adams believed this and thus gave Luke 4 and Isaiah 61 a special place in his own life. His entire career was given to the service of his country, as a diplomat, Secretary of State, U.S. senator, U.S. president, and finally U.S. congressman. In that last position, his primary objective was to bring an end to slavery in the United States. Unfortunately, he entered Congress at a time when it was unwilling to consider the subject, so the anti-slavery measures he introduced were regularly defeated; nevertheless, he persisted. In fact, because he kept the issue of slavery in the forefront when the subject was so unpopular, death threats were frequently made against him. He lamented, “The best actions of my life make me nothing but enemies.”
For his unwavering opposition to slavery, he became known as “The Hell Hound of Abolition,” and for his rousing defense of the anti-slavery cause, he was called “Old Man Eloquent.”
In 1841, now an elderly man with bad eyesight and trembling hands, Adams used his skills as an attorney and orator to defend 53 Africans who had been kidnapped and enslaved. He delivered a speech before the U.S. Supreme Court that lasted 9 hours and spanned 3 days, and even though only one of the justices on the Court at the time opposed slavery, he won the case, freeing the Africans. This story is told in the Hollywood movie Amistad.
Most of his proposals were voted down by Congress, but across all the years of losses, he remained fervent and steadfast in fighting slavery. Given that he had so few successes—and so much hateful opposition—what caused him to persevere? The answer is found in his personal philosophy:
“Duty is ours; results are God’s.”
Venerating heroes like Benjamin Rush and John Quincy Adams arouses within me the courage, the tenacity, and the diligence to fulfill the mission the Lord Jesus Christ has given me. I am looking forward to heaven, but for now I desire to stay here and please the Lord Jesus Christ while I still have time to do so! How about you?
Two Small Group Applications
1. If you are in a small group, one week share this article and give an assignment to speak good words and practice good deeds.
2. The next week, take the time for every person in the group to share how they expressed good words or demonstrated good deeds.
The last part of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:20) is to go and “teach them to observe.” Imagine if half of our Bible studies were accountability gatherings to assess how well we practiced and obeyed the teaching from the week before. We would probably see minor cultural shifts toward righteousness within our little spheres of influence. 😀😀
Other Applications of This Teaching
- What got your attention in the passages from Acts, and why?
- How will you live out the aim of Benjamin Rush? “To spend, and be spent, for the good of mankind is what I chiefly aim at.”
- What American patriots will you venerate? Learn about them from the Founders’ Bible.
- What are some ways you are DOING GOOD IN WORD AND DEED?
- Muse over Rush’s profound statement below. In what ways does it resonate with you, and how have you been living it out? “Even our old age is not our own property. All its fruits of wisdom and experience belong to the public.”
I would probably modify his statement with saying: All its fruits of wisdom and experience belong to Christ.
- Oh, the powerful philosophy of Adams: “Duty is ours; results are God’s.” In what ways will you purpose to live out this extraordinary philosophy?
If you would like to see how I integrated his philosophy into a conversation look to my article, “Additional Transformative Statements, September 6, 2026 on my blog:www. daleebel.org, page one.
Please feed back is welcome!
Doing good in word and deed with you, for the reputation of Christ,
Dale