What is Well Doing?

I am like many Christians who wonder constantly if they are doing the right things in life.  Am I doing what God would have me do? Am I fulfilling the will of God for my life?  It is amazing how we can miss some of the most obvious answers when we become consumed by our own questions.  Today I was reading my daily scriptures, and I came across Isaiah 1:17 which says, "Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow." (KJV) I've read this scripture before, but I never paid attention to what was right in front of me.  This scripture defines the meaning of what it is to "do well".  Here is the criteria:

1. seek judgment-  When there are multiple versions of a story or there is an issue that you can't resolve on your own, it makes sense to look for someone with more discernment than you to deliberate on the matter.  You look for wisdom. 

2. relieve the oppressed - When I think about someone who is oppressed, I think of someone being pushed down or stepped on and suffocating.  It is doing well to help lift that burden, and give people room to breathe.  God is on the side of the oppressed.  It is the churches job to lift God up in word and in deed so that others might be saved.  (see Mathew 5:16)

3. judge the fatherless - When I was younger this scripture used to bother me.  It wasn't the children's fault that they were fatherless!  Why do they get judged?  I was misunderstanding the meaning of this scripture because I learned through societies lens that judges were mean and only determined guilt.  If we remember the idea of seeking judgment from earlier, then judging is seeking wisdom and a solution.  So, taking into account all of this, judging the fatherless is dispensing wisdom, or shedding light on the situation of those that are orphaned in order to find a resolution. This can be achieved through mentoring, adopting, and advocating for those who have lost their born to judges (parents).   

4. Plead for the widow - If we continue with a lingo of the legal system, then the one who pleads a case is the lawyer.  To plead for the widow is to take up her cause, and ask others to get her what she needs.  This is similar to judging the fatherless only we aren't guiding the widow, but providing support. 

If we look at this criteria as the standard for doing well, it is easy to determine if we are doing well.  Why would we want to do well?  Here are a few scriptures to answer that question: 


Galatians 6:8-10
⁸ For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
⁹ And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
¹⁰ As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. 


Romans 2:6-8
⁶ Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
⁷ To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
⁸ But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
1 Peter 2:14-16
¹⁴ Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.
¹⁵ For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
¹⁶ As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.