How do I find opportunities to do good?
Question:
How do I find opportunities to do righteousness when I'm either at home studying or at college or school studying? I mean I need opportunities to practice Christian skills. Should I ask God to help or should I really sort myself out as a Christian and then scour the streets like a modern-day superhero looking for injustice? I just don't know. Yeah, I could give whatever change that was in my pocket to some random tramp or hobo on the side of the road, but for me, that's not substantial enough. I'm not satisfied with little things, I want to do big things. Obviously, I know it is going to be a long time before I'm out on my own, so obviously I can't just do nothing good in that period because the end of days could come in between that period and I'll be going to hell. So I'm just a bit ignorant in ways of just simply helping people.
Another thing is why is it that some people are wise and righteous when it comes to some issues but then so completely stupid and ignorant when it comes to other issues?
Oh, yeah, and another thing is what is the big deal about friends? I thought as a Christian you should not make friends who are worldly in their beliefs and are likely to influence you in an evil way. Everyone I met in some form or another is just wrong in his beliefs. Life isn't about making friends, it is about depending on God, not others. It is not like I am opposed to finding friends, it's just the right type of Christian friends, which is unfortunately hard to come by these days.
Answer:
"And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward" (Matthew 10:42).
I think the reason you are having trouble finding opportunities to do good is that you don't have a good grasp on exactly what is good. It is whenever a person does as God directs, either for others or in his own life, he is doing good works. See Fruitful Christians for a discussion of this. "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10). God isn't just looking for major, earth-shattering events. He is more interested in consistency in all that we do. "And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities'" (Luke 19:17). You are not out to earn your salvation. You are here to give God glory by showing others what God's teachings are all about. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).
Life is too short for people to become experts in everything. The wise person recognizes how little he knows. It is the lazy person who thinks he knows enough. "The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly" (Proverbs 26:16). Another problem is some people can't stand to be wrong. "Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid" (Proverbs 12:1). "Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a just man, and he will increase in learning" (Proverbs 9:9).
It depends on whether you are talking about those you are acquainted with, the people with whom you are friendly, or those with whom you spend most of your time with. We can be guilty of using the term "friend" loosely. Case in point, I have people on my Facebook "friends list" whom I've never talked to in my life. One remains on friendly terms with lots of people in order to have opportunities to teach and do good. "For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel's sake, that I may be partaker of it with you" (I Corinthians 9:19-23). You do friendly things for people because you never know how it might impact your life later. "Cast your bread upon the waters, For you will find it after many days. Give a serving to seven, and also to eight, For you do not know what evil will be on the earth" (Ecclesiastes 11:1-2). But you are correct that for close friends, you have to be more choosy (I Corinthians 15:33). See: Making Friends.
