No good deed goes unpunished...

The phrase 'No good deed goes unpunished' is a sardonic commentary on the frequency with which acts of kindness backfire on those who offer them. In other words, those who help others are doomed to suffer as a result of their helpfulness. (Wikipedia)

How true. (Me)

Nevertheless, God Loves You...

Following on from my train of thought from my two earlier posts...

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
  ‘For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:35-39 (New International Version)

Eagerness For Doing Good

"Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?"

1 Peter 3:13, NIV

Is it enough just to want to do good? How eager do you have to be to hit the mark?

Because I know of a considerable number of people who have suffered quite a bit in their eagerness to help others, to do good. It's so common, there's a phrase that I use fairly often; a phrase that over the years I have proved to be true:

"No good deed goes unpunished..."

This modern-day proverb, although rather cynical in nature, contradicts firmly the idea that good people are rewarded for their good deeds. In fact, it's often quite the opposite. It's not known who first came up with this modern proverb ... however they certainly got it right.

Because there are lots of occasions when things don't end as you think they should. We don't all live "happily ever after".... this is real life, not a fable or a fairy tale. Sometimes there might not be a happy ending. Or even a proper conclusion to what we are trying to do. And that's awful. That's not the way it should be...

All of the encouragement that I received as a child, as a young man - to work tirelessly to make this world a better place; to use my talents for the common good; to be altuistic; to strive to do make our society better. That encouragement is not there now.

Now, we suffer because we are doing good. We are ridiculed, mocked, dismissed as cranks.  Who is going to harm you? There's a whole bunch of 'em. They line up to take turns at us.

We are rejected as do-gooders. What we do is dismissed as second-rate, despite the fact we do it without reward, and many times without support (either physical or financial).

They haven't a clue why we do it. They say we must have an ulterior motive. When we stumble and fall, they say we are used up and we are cast aside.

Sometimes we suffer because we do it in the name of Jesus. We may be hurt. We run the risk of being killed for the sake of Jesus.

However, I still believe in the idea of doing good. There are so many that are in need, and they need to be loved, to hear the good news... And I am eager to carry on... Who is with me?

Are all the others that used to help gone now?

Am I all alone here? Hello?

Who Is Going To Harm You ...

Doing Good or Doing Well ... 2022 edition

 Happy New Year. I hope.

This is kind of a follow-up to a post I did nearly five years ago now. Here's the link to my earlier post - right here .

You see, at the moment I am sitting back in my chair, on the first day of a brand new year, assessing whether I can say I feel that I am achieving either of these at the moment.

Doing good or doing well. 

I often feel that I'm not doing either. And I doubt if I am alone feeling that way. I'm unable to carry out many of the things I used to do five years ago - in many cases this is due to Covid-19, however there are other factors in play. Like many, I feel fatigued with the current world situation. Frustrated with being unable to do so much that I used to do. However, I have faith that the opportunities will be there, there will be new things to replace the old - if I keep faithful, keep believing - and keep myself in the best mindset.

Thus, I know that I need to step into 2022 with a new mindset. How I can do that is what I need to work on at the moment.

Here's the scripture verse I used last time, my first step:

"So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith."
Galatians 6:9-10 - The Message

My next step is to hold my hands open for God. I have let go of so much, and some of it isn't missed - it is part of my history of service. Much of it is missed ... however, I mustn't grieve for it, it was part of my life and now is in the past. 

I need to leave my hands open for God - also, my heart, mind, and soul. He wants my hands empty, open for better things. Blessed things. Eternal things.

Keep believing. Don't quit.

Doing good or doing well...

"You finished second grade
I hope you can tell
If you're doing good or doing well..."
(lyrics from 'Word Crimes' by Weird Al Yankovic)

Inspiration for this post started from a discussion that I had with my daughter the other night, whilst I was driving her down to the shops. We're both Weird Al fans, and when I mentioned about ensuring her motives were right as she starts out to secure employment, the above lyrics popped into my head... we chuckled together as we chatted about this!

And that started me off thinking about my own motives, as well as hers. It was such a good topic that it ended up as part of this post!

Am I doing good ... performing good deeds, helping others, striving to make this world a better place...

Or doing well ... in good health, meeting my personal goals, prospering?

I'd like to think I'm trying for both. And I want to encourage my family to do the same.

Do good, and do well!

"So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith."
Galatians 6:9-10 - The Message

What Is My Legacy?

I spent nearly an hour or so this morning watching a BBC programme about people who had passed away in 2016. There were, as you might imagine, quite a lot of names. And the list wasn't even complete. There were other names that they didn't mention, that I knew about, that I recognised as people that had influenced me, had helped me form my world view.  Kind of hard to keep up with all that had happened, I suppose...

And with each of the names there was a sentence or two, summarising what they had done, what they had left behind them. Their legacy to the world.

And it got me thinking... what would my legacy be?

OK, so I don’t need to be a rock star, a terrific actor or a tech genius to make a difference: it’s not about the money. It certainly isn't about the fame. It is all about how we - you and I - can touch other people’s lives. And make them better.

So, with all that I do, is it enough? As altruistic as I believe I am, am I actually doing good?

One Hundred Years from Now
(An excerpt from “Within My Power” by Forest Witcraft)

One hundred years from now
It will not matter
What kind of car I drove,
What kind of house I lived in,
How much money was in my bank account,
Nor what my clothes looked like.
But the world may be a better place because
I was important in the life of a child.

Or an adult. Or a person who was in need.

Happy New Year.  What do you want your legacy to be?

Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness

The phrase mentioned above is a most familiar one, coming of course from the United States Declaration of Independence. Signed in 1776 on the same day that Chris and I were married (although some 216 years earlier) the second section of the Declaration reads as follows:

We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

In recent weeks I have been reflecting a good deal on my own personal Christian walk, and on how I measure up - chiefly with my own standards, my own good intentions. I get frustrated with failures, get depressed when things don't work out the way they should. Most of the time the reasons things don't work out aren't my fault (as my colleagues and family tell me constantly), however that doesn't make me feel any better. In fact, when it is clearly something that I have done, it feels much, much worse.

It's time for a change, and by that I mean a change of emphasis. I have identified three things that I need to aim for in the next few weeks. Surprisingly, these can be categorised under three simple headings. Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

More later.

Misunderstood? part two

So I've been through all the usual questions, the challenges. I've worked out where I think I ought to be, and tried to work out how to get there. Back came the answer 'God will make a way'. But I've still been trying to work out for myself which way I need to go. I've come along with the best of intentions, and often found myself taken for a ride by my peers, who are happy to use my willingness to serve. I've asked the question “why is this happening to me?"as I struggle through problems others seem to breeze through. I try my best, but my best doesn't seem to be good enough.

And of course it isn't. Nothing I do will ever be good enough. When trials come, God is at work within me, shaping me into the person I need to be. Not necessarily for now, but for future service. I've just misunderstood what is being done. In fact, I've misunderstood the whole object. It's not what I can do for God. It's what He can do for me. I'm a work in progress! God's hard at work with his tools, checking my progress with his plumb line.

You see, I've often said to others that they need to be a 'human being', not a human doing. However, applying that concept to my life has been ... er ... difficult. There's always something to do! So, taking this truth and applying them to the two points I blogged about last time:

I am a Salvationist, chosen to be a soldier.
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit.”
John 15:16

That God is calling me to something deeper.
That calling isn't necessarily what else can I do for Him - but who I can be for Him. God's the one with work to do - and it's already under way.

Misunderstood?

I'm just a soul whose intentions are good,

Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood.

(Bennie Benjamin, Gloria Caldwell and Sol Marcus)

The chorus to the above song has been bouncing around in my brain for most of the weekend, but I think I've worked out why today. I've had quite a thoughtful Easter break, taking in what has been imparted to me in the various meetings over the last few days. I've stayed away from the 'net, trying to avoid distractions, getting my head together. So what have I concluded so far, to take me into the week ahead?

1. That I am a Salvationist. An obvious comment, you might say... However, I'm not just a Christian that worships at The Salvation Army, but a person called into The Salvation Army for a reason. I've met a fellow Christian this week who used to come to the Army but now goes to the local baptist church. That's great for him, but after some thought (trying to put myself into his shoes) I just can't consider worshipping anywhere other than in an Army setting. Why should that be? Is the Army way of doing things 'the only way'. No - but it's the only way for me. The only way I can explain it is by this chorus:

"Chosen to be a Soldier, Chosen by God.
Chosen to be a Soldier, Washed in His Blood.
Chosen to be a Soldier, Lost ones to save.
Chosen to be a Soldier In the Army brave."

2. That God is calling me to something deeper. I suppose if you take the first point and the reasoning behind it as true, it must therefore lead to point two. However, where he is leading me, I still don't know for sure. Yet. Yes, I've been to DFL, spoken to officers about this, sat and prayed about forms and covenants. I've met some folks who have an 'assurance' that they know where they are being led. There's some plenty of good advice being thrown at me by friends and colleagues, some of it contradictory. I've identified in me some very strong good intentions to take a next step, however I'm not finding the decision as to which direction to go an easy one to take. I know that 'good intentions' alone aren't good enough... I remember that 'the road to hell is paved with good intentions' (late sixteenth century quotation).

Here's some more quotations about 'good intentions'

"Let your intentions be good - embodied in good thoughts, cheerful words, and unselfish deeds - and the world will be to you a bright and happy place in which to work and play and serve." - Grenville Kleiser
"The evil that is in the world almost always comes of ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence if they lack understanding." - Albert Camus
"Hell isn`t merely paved with good intentions, it is walled and roofed with them" - Aldous Huxley
"Good intentions aren`t good enough!" - George W. Bush
"Life is short and if you`re looking for extension, you had best do well. `Cause there`s good deeds and then there`s good intentions. They are as far apart as Heaven and Hell."- Ben Harper

... more later ...