Have you ever come across a sign or a quote that made you stop and think?

I was reading a magazine the other day and there was a sign in the publication that said something about “doing good.’  I thought having a quote like that on the wall would be a great encouragement to help me think about caring for others and not being so much about myself.

Shortly thereafter, I saw this quote by Thoreau – Be not simply good – be good for something. 

Many of us belong to the Good Girls’ Club.  We follow the rules, keep our rooms clean, say “please” and “thank you” and even do a few good deeds.  We concern ourselves with being good.  But, our goodness is mostly goodness for goodness sake.

What if, instead, we positioned ourselves differently? What if we made it a point to make our goodness count… as in loving our neighbor? Standing up for justice, etc.

I’m reminded of this verse from the Bible:

The Lord has shown you what is good. 
He has told you what he requires of you.
You must act with justice.
You must love to show mercy.
And you must be humble as you live in the sight of your God. —Micah 6:8

To live like this IS to be good for something.

To encourage you in this sentiment… I created this FREE 5×7 printable Thoreau quote for you. CLICK HERE to download (for personal use only) and print out and frame it or even post it on your fridge as your reminder to Be not simply good – be good for something. 

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