Why do we do what we do when we do good works? What motivates us?
On some level, the desire to do an act of charity for others is written in our hearts. We genuinely feel good when do something good for another person.
For some, though, they need to receive accolades from others. Some of us have seen co-workers who seemingly spend 10% of their time doing things and 90% of their time advertising those things to others. In the workplace, some degree of that is necessary for your boss and others to know what you have done. For those who own their own business, it is essential that these things be advertised to potential customers.
But is external praise our primary motivator? Do we live for the applause, even figuratively, of others? Are we willing to perform at least some good deeds anonymously?
Remember that Saint Thomas Aquinas talked about an act in terms of its object (the basic action itself), the motivation, and the circumstances. A generous donation to a worthy cause is a good object. But, if the motivation is only to get one’s name on a plaque, then the morality of the action overall is not the same as if the act were done for purely altruistic reasons. It might go from being good to being neutral at best.
Jesus tells us not to do good for the sake of earthly recognition. If earthly recognition is what we seek, then our reward will be here on earth. If our motivation is the good of others and/or doing the will of God, then our reward will come from God. For a reward that might come in the next life, this might be the ultimate in delayed gratification.
For Christians, our good deeds should be rooted in, and grow out of, our faith.
Our good works can serve as a form of evangelization. This happens when our motivation for good works from our Christian faith. Of course, we are all likely aware of the passage from James that our Urban Plunge program has adopted: “Faith without action is dead.” Our good works are not independent of our faith. They are a necessary product of a living faith. When the recipient of a good deed knows that the good deed comes out of our faith, they might decide that they want what we have.
In the home, when children have a sense of warmth that they come to understand is a result of the faith of the parents, they are much, much more likely to retain their faith when they become adults.
When have we done good recently? Why did we do it? Was it a product of our faith as a Christian? Or, was it in some way self-serving?