Spiritist Society Towards the Light

Doing Good Without Ostentation

March 31, 2017

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“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.  But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." (Matthew VI: 1-4).

Allan Kardec cites, once again, the need to make an abstraction of this present life, so we can identify with the future, to see and learn spiritual things.

For those who see life from birth to death, why do good in secrecy? Even as an example of charity, kindness, to be imitated, the good that is done must be shown. We want to be recognized by our contemporaries as a good person who helps those in need. By being well known and applauded, we already get our reward, as Jesus said in the text above, since we expect nothing beyond death.

For the spiritist, in general, one who accepts the continuity of life for the soul independently of the death of the body, the spiritist sees the need to do good without waiting for the applause of men, because they wait for the applause, the reward of God, in this or in the next life, whose highest law is love.

For the spiritist, accepting the evolutionary process of the spirit, through reincarnations, in order to improve continuously to achieve perfection, these teachings of Jesus constitute a goal to be pursued, because who does so spontaneously, without any sense of vanity, pride, or ambition, already shows great moral superiority, regardless of religious label, or titles that they own.

What spiritist want or should want is to develop all the divine potential they have, like all living things, including, therefore, the need for a fraternal inter-relationship as a way to make this spiritual development.

The certainty of the continuity of life after death leads men/women to let go of the material values, placing them as a tool for the evolution of the immortal Spirit, which must always do good without expecting any recognition, because they are conscious that do just what they should do, as a child of God.

Thus, in a world of expiation and tests, the exercise to do good without ostentation, for the pleasure of doing so, constitutes for man/woman a necessity in order to develop love within themselves, which is the evolutionary goal of this humanity.

Allan Kardec warns of false modesty in the act of helping others, remembering that there are people that hide the hand, as Jesus said, but “Being cautious to let others realize that they do it." These also already received, at the time, the reward: they were seen.

Another alert also about making the benefits heavy on the beneficiary. How many help but charge the aid, through fees and attitudes or actions, extolling the sacrifices they make or support.

This behavior, which is quite common, shows how far man/woman are from doing good for good. We see this in parents complaining about or to the children, what they did for them when they were small, we see spouses also charging attitudes in exchange for what they do or did, friends moving away because they did not receive the attention of the other which they judged to be worthy of.

Kardec said: "For this, there is not even the earthly reward; one is deprived of the sweet satisfaction of hearing others exalt your name ..." "... The good you do will not be enjoyed as long as you censor it, because the agreed benefit is changed currency that lost its value."

Whoever does good, complaining, whining, blaming, does not receive a reward, as they are not aware of the benefits that they could enjoy in their favor, blessing the opportunity to exercise the noble qualifications of the soul, the pleasure of serving, to help someone, undo dislikes and hatred, conquering a friend for eternity, etc.

"The benefit without ostentatious has two advantages: in addition to the material charity, it constitutes moral charity, it circumvents the susceptibility of a beneficiary, making one accept the favor without hurting one’s self-esteem and safeguarding their human dignity, as there are those who accept a service but refuse alms.

Converting a service in alms, by the way that it is provided, is humiliating the one who receives it, and there is always pride and wickedness to humiliate someone.

True charity, by contrast, is delicate and skillful to hide the benefit and avoid even the smallest possibility of irritation because all moral shock increases the suffering caused by the need.

True Charity knows how to find sweet and affable words, it puts the beneficiary, at ease while proud charity humiliates.

The sublime of true generosity is in the benefactor knowing when to reverse roles, finding a way to feel the same kind gratitude as the one that the service is provided to.

This is what these words mean: That the left hand does not know what your right hand is doing.”