what good is each good thing we think we do
January 31, 2010
I’ve been contemplating lately on the things that I do, what I take pride in and what I regret. I generally think of myself as a good person who does good things. But what does being a “good person” even mean? Take for example the tragic events in Haiti. In the midst of heartache and suffering, the world came together to give whatever they could to help. This generosity and love that arose out of such despair was a hallmark of beauty and human connection. Giving to Haiti is a good thing, a necessary thing. However, I have to be mindful of the motivations behind the good that I think I do. Was giving to Haiti a good deed that made myself feel like a good person or a check off the list of the daily good things I thought I ought to do? America is the most charitable nation in the world and I’m proud of that. Yet, once we give money, we label ourselves as “good” people because we did our good deeds, and then we move on in our lives. How many times have I given money to the church and thought to myself, “there God, I did what I was supposed to, now reward me.”
Then I reflect on what is truly good.
God is the author of everything good in this world. It all derives from Him. He just uses us as one of His tools to display His goodness. Not only did He forgive me from all of my vices, but He made me a new person. A person who can be an agent, witness, and model of God’s goodness. What a privelage it is to display His glory and not my own. I cannot take any credit for any good that comes from me, for it is only an expression of what God has done and is doing. However, I must continually remind myself to be selfless, not only in my behavior, but primarily in my motivations.
1 Corinthians 10:24 “No one should seek his own good, but the good of others.”
Matt. 19: 16-17 “Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, ‘Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?’ ‘Why do you ask me about what is good?’ Jesus replied. ‘There is only One who is good.’”
Col 3:23 “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”
