Daily Meditation: Sunday, September 7, 2014

Good (doing) - two points to consider

09/07/2014

Wanting to do good is one thing, and actually doing it is another. For unfortunately the desire to do so is not enough: you have to be lucid and honest enough to admit that while you may think you are acting for the good, you make mistakes. But that is no reason to feel discouraged. You simply have to learn to be as vigilant and wary of yourself as you are of others, if not more so. It can also happen that in behaving well, you attract complications and even hostility. This is why you hear people say, ‘You do someone a good turn, and look what you get back’. Even if this is true, it must never justify selfishness and the refusal to help others. Have you done something good, and not only have you not been rewarded for it but you have been abused? This is painful, it’s true – but quickly try to forget that, and tell yourself that your behaviour should not depend on the attitude of others. Do good and expect nothing. Count only on the One who sees everything and knows everything. He alone can appreciate your good and generous actions, so the reward will come from him. And it may come in a different form from the one you were expecting. You will be in better health, stronger, wiser and calmer: isn’t that the best kind of reward?