Editorial November 7, 1988 Issue

Working in God's service

William E. Moody

With a touch of irony, the British novelist Barbara Pym once wrote, "The trouble with doing good works is that one can never be said to have done one's share because some works always need doing and there are never enough people to do them."^{An Academic Question (New York: E. P. Dutton, 1986), p. 139 .}

I suppose one could be frustrated by such a pragmatic analysis and shrug one's shoulders with a disheartened "What's the use, then?" But, on the other hand, one could also be animated to take up the challenge and try to live one's life by doing even more good whenever and wherever possible. Perhaps rather than being the "trouble" with good works, it's really the joy of good works that there is always more to be done! It gives one's life plenty to accomplish and, in fact, ultimately provides the only kind of living that is truly satisfying.

Of course most people today don't need anything extra to keep them busy. It's hard enough to find even a few quiet moments for prayer or contemplation in an average day. But what if we could shift our perspective a bit, and instead of seeing only the daunting prospect of adding more activities to an already more than active life, we could perceive our entire existence as a whole enterprise, lived moment by moment for God, working in His service.

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