There’s a husband and wife in my neighborhood I often see walking when I’m out on my walks. They’re not just walking, though, they’re picking up trash. I’ve noticed them doing this several times but one time recently got me thinking. I was a healthy distance behind them, and they didn’t appear to see me. I watched her go to one side of the road and him the other and both were picking up trash as they went.
It was moving to watch. They were at least a mile away from their house. They were on my street, not theirs. I wonder how many people realize that they do that? They don’t do it for attention, I’m sure. It reminded me of that Harry S. Truman quote: “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”
I believe this is 100 percent true. This is putting self on the backburner in favor of the greater good. It is a real test of character. What are we going to do, or not do, when no one is watching? Will I sacrifice my time and effort to something that I won’t personally benefit from? Is the benefit to others more valuable than the credit for me? Can I give without getting something in return?
This is altruism. This is humility. This is loving your neighbor. This is how Jesus wants us to live. We are humans living in a fallen world, so we’re not going to be truly altruistic. But I believe Jesus wants us to aim in that direction.
We see a lot of people stepping up and helping in times of big tragedies and great need. That’s necessary and important. But what about in the cases where the media isn’t watching? What if we don’t feel the peer pressure or there’s no celebrity prompting? Will we help anyway? If we don’t particularly like the person? If no one directly asks us? If no one claps for us? If we simply don’t have to? We need to humbly, and altruistically, love our neighbors in the ordinary of daily life, not just in disaster response or when there’s a picture we can post on social media.
The story of The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) comes to mind. To paraphrase, a guy has been beaten, robbed, and left for dead. After a couple people pass him by, the Samaritan, at his own expense, helps him. The story was part of Jesus’ response on how to inherit eternal life. Jesus told it as an example of how to love a neighbor. It showed compassion, mercy, and sacrificing time and money. Jesus said, in verse 37, “Go and do likewise.”
In Philippians 2:3-4 (NKJV), Paul encourages loving one another in humility. “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” Aside from our immediate families and maybe a close friend or two, how often do we put the interests of others ahead of our own?
The Samaritan didn’t collect a reward or gain fame. He just did the right thing. That’s what we’re to emulate. Jesus had no patience for those who did things just to be seen. God wants your heart to be in it. Doing the right thing for what we can personally gain may win us worldly points, but it doesn’t win us accolades with God.
What God asks of us comes with its own reward. It’s eternity with our Creator and our Savior. Our greatest reward is bigger than promotions, trophies, money, or fame. That’s not to say that God doesn’t allow us to reap some benefits now. Numerous studies have shown a wide range of mental, physical, and emotional benefits that we jumpstart by being good to each other. To borrow the popular saying, a rising tide does lift all ships. If my community is improved, chances are I will ultimately see some benefits.
The key, though, is motivation. When our good is done in obedience to God we overcome evil (Romans 12:21). When our sacrifices are given in obedience then God provides the rewards. When we take care of God’s kingdom, God takes care of us. Jesus himself said our sacrifices, for the right reason, aren’t in vain. Luke 18:29-30 says, “So He said to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come everlasting life.”
Friends let’s examine our motives and aim higher. We’re never going to be 100 percent in the effort to not care who gets credit, to always put the greater good ahead of ourselves, or to be purely altruistic. However, we can be mindful of our motivation. We can be humble. We can seek God and not glory.
