A Good Deed to be Good Has to be Directed by God

There’s a statement in our textbook that makes me very grateful for a lesson that I am learning in this church. That statement from Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy, page 435 is, “…good deeds are immortal, bringing joy instead of grief, pleasure instead of pain, and life instead of death.” It was a fine teacher in this church who taught me that looking out for our brother, doing good deeds for others, is really the only way to ensure happiness. It’s really true that you can’t be unhappy when you’re helping somebody else out. It’s a wonderful remedy for depression, and this teacher taught me that the opposite of “depression” is “expression.” I have found that many times when I’m feeling down I’ve looked for something to do for someone else and done it, and sure enough, it cures the depression. I can’t feel down anymore.

I’m also grateful for the corollary lesson that comes with it. That lesson is to distinguish between a good deed that is indeed good, from deeds that are what we shall call human do-goody, which aren’t necessarily good. In order for a good deed to be good it has to be principled, it has to be directed by God, it cannot be human sympathy for somebody. Too many times, something like that can enable someone to continue to do things that aren’t in their best interest, and this is a tougher lesson to learn, I think.

I’m grateful for the help of Christian Science, and the practitioners in this church, for helping me to differentiate between what is really good, God-directed, and what is human do-goody, and not so good. So, I’m grateful to be learning this simple yet profound lesson, and I can honestly say that I am a much happier person most of the time as a result of learning this lesson. It does heal grief, it heals pain, it gives us a reason to live, and I’m grateful for the many opportunities we have in this church to help others.