Right Intentions

[Sarah147]

Hello,

This was brought up with a Religious Order I had visited, and the Sisters weren't sure what the answer was. It came up in a spiritual reading or tape, about how our intentions in doing good works could be for God or for ourselves. How do we know when we are doing out of love for God or selfishly for ourselves?

Thank you.

God bless you.

[TeresaBenedicta]

It can get sticky.

On the one hand, the distinction can seem pretty clear: Am I doing this to make myself look good or because I love God? In other words, is my intention directed at the natural (or supernatural) end of the good work or is directed toward another end, and the 'good work' is merely a means to that end? For example... Do I give alms to the poor because it is a charitable work? Or do I give alms because I know my pastor will think well of me when he sees me put a hundred dollar bill in the collection basket?

Sometimes a good question to ask yourself is this: Would I do this good work if no one ever saw or knew that I did it?

But sometimes it's not nearly as black and white as that. As we grow in charity, we come to see that many of our actions are done with mixed intentions. We will see times when we do something to please God.. but also kind of sort of to please ourselves as well. This is a part of our growth as Christians. By God's grace we hope to one day love God and our neighbor purely and perfectly.

[CatherineM]

[quote name='JoyfulLife' timestamp='1304009271' post='2234268']
Hello,

This was brought up with a Religious Order I had visited, and the Sisters weren't sure what the answer was. It came up in a spiritual reading or tape, about how our intentions in doing good works could be for God or for ourselves. How do we know when we are doing out of love for God or selfishly for ourselves?

Thank you.

God bless you.
[/quote]
I usually look at recognition. If I am doing something that I know I will be rewarded for, acknowledged for, or congratulated for, then that is obviously something that we aren't doing just for love of God. That doesn't mean that we aren't also doing it as God's work. Sometimes that line can be blurred. Sometimes you can start something exclusively for God will (think of Mother Theresa), but it evolves into something that is beyond your control. Doing things just for God's Kingdom is such a rare or unexpected thing in our society of selfishness, that often even if you try to do something without receiving recognition, it will come anyway because your service will stand out. Just try to evaluate you motives, in a truthful way to yourself. Things evolve, so you may have to review yourself at stages. Just don't be too hard on yourself. Doing good works will make us feel better about ourselves, so we do get a benefit from them, but that doesn't negate the good we are doing.