The Trap that Comes with Doing Good

I don’t know about you, but I have an overcommitment problem. I hear about something that sounds really good or needs my help, and I agree to participate. But then, over time, I struggle to feel motivated in that activity and my energy gets drained. I’ve often contemplated the reason this cycle keeps happening in my life, and a few possibilities come to mind. One, which I shared last week, would be trying to please people, having a difficult time saying no. Another would be not wanting to miss out.

But the one I’m going to be diving into today is my desire to be good, to please God, to redeem myself, through works. And besides the fact that this makes us think we no longer need salvation, it also causes us to distance ourselves from God.

Now, when you agree to lead a small group at church or take on another job to help someone, you probably don’t go into it thinking that you are doing it in order to “be good” or to “save yourself”. You probably do it thinking, “Oh, this sounds like a good cause, and God likes it when we help others, so I’ll do this.” Or maybe you do it for your own benefit or because you care about people.

But the truth is, when we go into things with the mindset that we’re in control of our lives and that God wants us to take care of ourselves (rather than relying on Him), we end up living for the wrong things and feel spiritually drained.

In my family, self-sufficiency is a high priority. Growing up, I was complimented as being independent by teachers and school counselors. I loved (and still fall into the trap of loving) the feeling of being in control and not needing to rely on anyone.

While we shouldn’t relying on people to make us satisfied or happy, we need to be in desperate want of Jesus. Our relationship with Jesus is one where we are needy, empty without Him. He’s the only one who should define us and who can fulfill us.

When we take opportunities that make us feel like we’re earning our keep, so to speak, we lose sight on the amazing gift of grace God gives us. And eventually, we end up feeling worthless and exhausted when those opportunities cease filling our tank.

But of course, not all opportunities are bad. God purposely puts certain opportunities in our paths so that we can grow closer to Him and help others. You might be asking, “How can I know if an opportunity is one I should take?”

For us who are already in many commitments, think about which ones might be hard work, but still feel fulfilling. You can still see God working through you in them. Then think about the ones that truly drain you. Those are the ones that you may need to let go of. When we are doing things for God, we will always have motivation.

Here are a few key questions to ask yourself about the commitments you already have or before saying yes to another opportunity:

1. Why am I doing/considering doing this? Is it to make myself feel like a better person or is it because I know God wants me to do it?
2. Will I still have time for rest when adding this to my schedule?
3. Will I sacrifice time with God by doing this?
4. How am I allowing this opportunity to shape how I see myself?
5. And then ultimately pray, read the Bible, and listen to God for direction before making a decision.

I hope these tips help you as you continue your journey with God! The most important thing to remember is that we will never be perfect until we go to Heaven, so we shouldn’t be striving for perfection now or holding ourselves to extreme expectations. Instead, we must allow God’s grace and peace to fill our hearts each day.

Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God.

2 Corinthians 3:5

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

2 Corinthians 12:9

Side note: In relation to these themes, I’d highly recommend listening to the song Beautiful Things, by Worship Together. God is making beautiful things through you!