It breaks my heart to think we need to appeal to people's selfish "how will it benefit me" desires in order for them to make change. I believe that people all have a need to help others...and that intrinsic need could motivate them to do good, without us having to appeal to the inner beast, if they would only listen to their conscious.
As I was reading God's word this morning, crying out to Him to show us His plan for us... really asking Him what our next steps are, in detail, He responded by leading me to this:
"...anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand! And be sure to pay attention to what you hear. The more you do thins, the more you will understand--and even more, besides. To those who are open to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But to those who are not listening, even what they have will be taken away from them." Jesus, as recorded in Mark Chapter 4, verses 23-25
I agree that it might motivate some to help others for the sole purpose of helping themselves. Many good deeds are done as a result of selfish desires... and it doesn't at all negate the good deed... I believe God puts desires in some that would not normally be there, to help His children in need. For example, many adoptions have began as a result of infertile couples. The children they adopt are blessed to have parents, they are blessed to have a child...everyone wins. Would they have had a heart for adoption if they hadn't been infertile? Maybe... maybe not. Either way, their desire to have children was what called them to adopt in the first place (in some cases...not all. I know there are those out there that want to adopt for the sake of adopting...) Don't get me wrong. Please. I think it's wonderful when children get adopted for whatever reason... I promise. I'm just saying that it seems like God often uses infertility to bring about His plan for adoption. I've witnessed this over and over again. Can't get pregnant...adopt. Have a baby naturally. Adopt again...have another one or two or three... Love it. Adopt. It doesn't matter to me where the motivation began. Good is being done. Hallelujah!
But, it somehow seems a lot different to me for God to put those desires in people, than it does for us as humans to try to manipulate people into doing good for their own benefit. "Help others so that you can gain", is not a thing that I want to encourage. At. All. It seems contrary to Jesus' teaching that whoever loses his life for his sake, will gain it.
I believe (at least I want to believe) that if people were aware of needs, and aware of a way that they could fit into the solution, that they would want to help. After being informed, I feel like I can't go on living without doing something to be a part of the solution, and I don't think I am special. I think that I'm just beginning to be informed. I think that if people were educated on the issue at hand...if those issues were told in stories of real people, than people would be compelled to respond. I think that if we begin to speak through how and what we purchase, that the big companies will be forced to listen, and act accordingly. Buying free trade coffee, for example...I haven't started yet...but I'm looking into it. I want to be an informed consumer, but I'm not. I think its just 'too much work' for others to bother looking into it. It's too overwhelming when people hear about poverty, or the environment, or the HIV crisis... they don't know even where to begin...so they don't. I don't think it is because people (or even companies) don't want to help... I think it's because no one has presented the story to them yet and ask them to audition for a part. I want to do that. I don't know how...but I want to...
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