“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Matthew 25:40.

Good intentions are valuable, but if we do not act on them, they lose their meaning. We are all human and subject to imperfection. Sometimes we make promises to do good, but life gets in the way. However, when we put our own interests above others’, it becomes a serious issue with spiritual consequences.

In Matthew 25, Jesus tells the parable of the Sheep and the Goats, which is about the last judgment and how the righteous will be separated from the wicked. Both groups ask about their service to the Lord: “When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Matthew 25: 38-40. In the end, the righteous, or Sheep, will be welcomed into the Lord’s presence, while the wicked, or goats, will be separated from Him forever.

Do you know which side you will sit on that day? You can be sure Jesus paid the price on the cross so that all men can freely receive reconciliation with God and have the choice of eternal life. But it is a choice. Have you accepted His call and chosen to make Him your Lord and Savior? No matter what else happens in life, there is no greater question than where you will spend eternity. Tomorrow may be too late. Choose eternity with our risen Savior today! “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ John 3:16.

So what about our good intentions? If you have been saved by God’s amazing grace, the Holy Spirit lives within you. He is your Comforter and Guide through life. He teaches all of God’s beloved children what Jesus wants us to know, and He helps us grow in God’s love and spiritual fruit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23.

God’s sacrificial love within us turns our good intentions into action. Let’s choose to obey and follow the Holy Spirit’s leading, especially by caring for those who are overlooked. Make it your goal to serve the Lord by helping someone who may be struggling. Our actions define our character. How does yours speak? “But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” Hebrews 13:16.

Take a moment to reflect: are you really willing to put others before yourself and help someone in need? As the old spiritual hymn says, may the works I’ve done speak for me!

The works I’ve done,

Sometimes it seems so small,

It seems like I’ve done nothing at all.

Lord, I’m leaning and depending on You,

If I do right, you’re gonna see me through;

May the works (the works I’ve done),

Let it speak for me (for me).

Let us embrace God’s blessings of peace and mercy in all we do.