Are You Doing Good for the Right Reasons?

Why do we do what we do? During Advent, it is good to reflect on this question because we are not only preparing to celebrate Christ’s coming as man in the flesh, but it is also an opportunity to prepare for His second coming and reflect on our own end and whether or not we are truly ready to face our judgment after death. We will be judged on our love for others and our good deeds, but the reason we did the good deeds will also carry tremendous weight.

There is a story about a woman who appeared before the judgment seat of God carrying two bags, one carrying her bad deeds and one carrying her good deeds. The bag carrying the bad deeds was small in size and the one carrying the good deeds was much bigger. However, when the bags were placed on the scales to weigh them, the bag carrying the bad deeds far outweighed the one with the good deeds. Why? It was because while she performed a lot of good deeds, she did them in order to be seen by others and gain their approval. This was her downfall. This is a valuable lesson for us. Jesus even warned the Pharisees against doing things just to be seen. In order for our love for God and others to be truthful and for our good deeds to have any value, they must be done solely for the good of the other and must be rid of selfishness and self-love. Once we can learn to do this and not seek our own interests in our dealings with others, we will be ready to stand before God.

As we enter the final week of Advent, we should reflect on our relationships with others and the good deeds we do for them. Are we hoping to be seen for what we do and is that what drives us? Or do we truly desire their good and want to please God by our actions? At Christmas we celebrate the Child Jesus Who came down from heaven to save us, the ultimate act of selflessness. To truly be ready, we must also give entirely of ourselves to others without holding anything back and without being selfish.