Nobody wants to be called a “do-gooder.” Like the name suggests, a do-gooder is a person who does good things. However, the good things a do-gooder does are often not as helpful as they’d like them to be. Their actions are often ineffective, pointless, or even just downright annoying. Even worse than being called a do-gooder is being called a “goody-goody” or a “goody two-shoes,” which implies that you do good things just to please those in authority and that you look down upon those who are not as good as you.

The Bible calls Christians to be good, to do good. In fact, goodness is one of nine attributes listed in the Fruit of the Spirit, the characteristics of the person who is filled with the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). But what does it look like to practice goodness according to Scripture, and how can we avoid earning these monikers as a result of our good deeds?