Tuesday; May 19
The other day I came across a couple of things that seemed to diminish what I had been doing. I set out to go out of my way to do something special for people only to be critiqued (and maybe even criticized) for what I had done. When this happened a few things came to mind: the first was the saying, “No good deed goes unpunished” … and the second was the temptation to exact revenge on those who criticized me. Thankfully, I was working on a sermon that reminded me of Paul’s words, “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” (Romans 12:19-20). Interestingly, one other reminder came from one of those pithy posters entitled, “Do Good Anyway” (or “The Paradoxical Commandments”). While the origin of the work has been attributed to various people, a couple of the verses resonated with me: “If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; be kind anyway” and “The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; do good anyway.”.
When people underappreciate our efforts, it is tempting to take our ball and go home, but it is important to keep going and doing. We need to remember that there will always be critics, but there will also be people who will benefit from the good we do. In the end, we do what we do for those who need it, not for those who judge it.
Think About It!