Good intentions are necessary, but not the only thing we need for helping others and showing God’s love. We must also take action and do good for others and show mercy. It has been said that we tend to judge ourselves by our intentions and judge others by their actions. I think this is one reason why Jesus commands us to love our enemies, in Matthew 5:43-44 it reads:
‘“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,’
Matthew 5:43-44
To clarify, we are not doormats, we can stand up to evil, but we are not to seek vengeance. Vengeance, belongs to the Lord. Romans 12:19 says that you should ‘…leave room for God’s wrath’. God knows the hearts of people and their true intentions. This is why we should pray for those that persecute us, rather than seek vengeance — it not only changes them, but it changes us as well. God can use us to help influence change in people when we act in accordance to His will, if we will let Him. In Jonah, chapters 1 & 2, Jonah tried to disobey what God command him to do. By Jonah 3:10, after Jonah relented — God saw that the people of Nineveh repented, He spared them the destruction he had threatened. Today people still sin against God and wrongfully blame Him for evil things that happen. Despite that, God does not retaliate against us. It takes true strength to not retaliate when someone hurts you — and this is exactly what God did for us when he sacrificed His Son on the cross. He showed us mercy.
That is why we need to love our enemies and show mercy — because God shows mercy. In Matthew 18:21-35, Jesus demonstrates this again with the Parable of the Unmerciful servant — we are commanded to show mercy because we have been shown mercy for our sins.
God knows the hearts and intentions of people and He is forgiving if we show we are willing to change for doing good, in other words: repent. In order to do good, you have to take action, not just have good intentions. However, the trap we fall into, as I mentioned at the beginning is that we like to give ourselves a free pass because our ‘intentions are good’, but when it comes to others we tend to judge based solely on their actions. James 4:17 reads “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.” Basically James is saying that having good intentions alone is sin. However, in order to do good, you have to start with good intentions. You do this by controlling your thoughts and what you spend your time thinking about, as well as the information you consume. These are all very important, but as James says, you can’t stop there. You have to be willing to follow through on your intentions and this will lead to good actions.
We have been forgiven through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, and faithfully obeying God, which starts with repentance and being baptized. We need to show mercy to others as well so God has the opportunity to spare them and save them like he did with the people of Nineveh. Sometimes the mercy we show might be the only way that others begin to see God and know His love.
In order to do good and show God’s love to others, we must be intentional about our actions. Action is necessary to do good, and your thoughts & intentions influence your actions. This is why Jesus stressed repeatedly while he was on earth how we should think and what is in our hearts. He said to not be angry with your brother or you will be subject to judgment. He also said to not look at a woman lustfully, because that is committing adultery in your heart. He knew that if we harbor and obsess over polluted thoughts that it would eventually lead to us doing something sinful.