Monday; August 23

During the latter part of the 20th Century, school-aged children were familiar with masks – but, it wasn’t the kind that they wear in school today. During those days, there was a “masked man” who wore a cover over his face to obscure his identity. The man, John Reid (better known as the Lone Ranger), rode the trails of Texas doing good, but striving for anonymity during his actions. While many people benefited from his kindness, few knew his identity.

I don’t know that the tales of the Lone Ranger would meet the modern scrutiny of heroism (or even social correctness), but as I thought about him recently, something stood out. Here was a man out there doing good – not for the notoriety, but just because it was the right thing to do. In fact, he went out of his way to avoid being known despite the good he did. Now, let’s shift to the 21st Century. Why do we do good? Is it merely to do good or do we have an ulterior motive in mind? Do we do good to leave a legacy, to make a name for our family, to receive a tax deduction or so the community will respect us? I am not saying that we should stop doing good to avoid these byproducts of our kindness, rather let’s make it a point that our primary rationale for doing good is because it is the right thing to do.
When Jesus warned His early disciples about the dangers of doing acts of righteousness to be noticed by others, He challenged them, “But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:3-4). It is great to give – especially when we do right with the proper attitude.

Think About It!

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