No Good Deed...

You've no doubt heard the old saying, "No good deed goes unpunished."  If you've lived very long at all, you've most likely seen this cliche in action.  You had the best intentios, you did your best to help, you hoped for the best outcome for them and they didn't appreciate what you did, perhaps they were angered and even retaliated against their perceived injustice.

This negative result from a positive action can make one gunshy in offering help again.  Why would I want to go through the trouble trying to help when it ends up bringing me trouble?  Doesn't seem to make sense.  Maybe if we try harder and approach it smarter, we will get the reaction we desired.  Maybe.  However, I wouldn't count on my effort to determine their reaction.  "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Tim 3:12).

There are some forces in the world working against good prevailing, "the spiritual forces of evil" (Eph 6:12).  Satan doesn't want good intentions to become reality so he helps to twist and bend perception to see our good efforts as bad treatment.  You try to show someone how to overcome their financial struggle and they accuse you of judging them.  You try to point out to a co-worker a better way to approach a task and they think you are boss them around.  You offer a genuine complement on someone's mustache and she gets offended (OK, that time you did mess up).

Sometimes the good we intend to do is rejected because the perceived cost is too high for the benefit. Trying to get a child to see the benefit in keeping his room clean, keeping her grades up, keeping their nose to the grinding wheel, whatever - seems to be too much for too little.  They will not understand and likely will not appreciate what you are trying to do until much later, if at all.  But, all those mean things you did, trying to instill self-motivation, self-discipline,  work ethic, good hygene, good manner, etc., really were from the best of intentions.  And, regardless of how they were perceived or received at the time, were worth the effort.

The reason for doing good deeds even when they so often do not go unpunished is that they are good and the possibility that good will emerge remains even after you have been slighted or malignedd.  It may take a while for the good to emerge but it never will if the seed isn't planted.  A farmer isn't guarnteed a harvest everytime he plants but if he doesn't give up, he will have a bountiful harvest - that is what keeps them going even when their best efforts bring about the worst results.

Despite the ristk, do good anyway.  You may not receive a good response from the individual but you will receive a reward from the Lord.  You may not see good results today but the opportunity to produce good is offered and it may emerge later.  You may never be appreciated by the other but you can look at yourself in the mirror without regret.  The cost is worth the benefit.  Jus' Sayn.