Our Best Deeds Are But Filthy Rags

Day after day I'm reminded of how hard it is to escape from original sin. Perhaps the greatest sin of all, Satan's downfall, and that of our earliest ancestors, has been that of Pride and Ego. Our world is so full of opportunities to cheat someone else, to take a shortcut that gives us an unfair advantage, to ignore another's plight because our involvement may interfere with our own selfish plans. To give when it hurts is completely foreign it seems to many of us. Indeed, most would agree that it is best to not stick your neck out too much for someone else. Self preservation is everyone's motto. If, instead, one sees the need to right a wrong or help someone in need even though to do so may make one vulnerable, that person is often regarded as misguided at the very least, but more often viewed as reckless or even downright stupid.

So when one does choose to "do the right thing" in the face of such societal opposition, it's very easy for one to feel a sense of moral pride in oneself. It's very easy to pat ourselves on the back and say to oneself, "not many people would have done what I did", "I'm a pretty good person". If we're not careful, it's also easy for us to then ignore some responsibilities that we don't really want to address because, after all, look what I've already done. I've done my part. But often what we've done is only a fraction of what we are capable of. It costs us very little. As Jesus once said about the poor widow's small little contribution to the church compared to the rich man's large donation; the rich man was very proud and made a great show of dropping all his large coins into the box so everyone could hear what a great donation he had made, but it represented only a miniscule fraction of his wealth and was no real sacrifice to him. The widow's donation, however was all she had on which to live.

Every time I think I've done some great deed and am tempted to give myself a pat on the back, I'm reminded that (as we heard in church service recently) all of our best deeds are but filthy rags in the sight of the Lord. This does not dissuade me from trying to do good deeds, but instead keeps me mindful of my sinful nature and my tendency to want to feed my ego with my little offerings. It reminds me that my "good deeds" are a requirement and a responsibility of my discipleship in Christ and, as such, should not be applauded any more than the daily brushing of my teeth. Serving others until it hurts is even more than a responsibility; it's a privilige.

Father, please bless me each day with the privilige to serve another. When I am able to provide some assistance or service to someone else in need, please help me to quickly forget my "good deed" and think of it no more highly than the act of putting my shoes on today. Everything I have to give, whether it be material or skill, I only have because You gave it to me first. Without You, I am nothing.