Thought of the Day 05.19.10

A friend of mine on Facebook asked the following question: How many people are truly good and how many are simply looking for brownie points from their deity of choice? Great question, right? Here’s what I wrote back:

If my wife's back is sore and she asks me for a back rub, am I doing it because I love her or because I'm hoping she'll return this or some other favor at a later time? The only way I can know it's love is when I know she would give me what I want later anyhow, even if I don't give her the back rub now. But the real question is whether I'll give her the backrub even if I knew I'd get nothing for it in return and if it's really inconvenient for me to give it right now.

In short, I can’t know whether my motives are pure until I’ve had the benefits removed and the price is high. Only then am I finally free to do something truly good for the very first time, and able to find out whether I still will. Love is only revealed when someone has nothing more to offer me, whether because they won’t give it or because they’re already giving everything they have.