Self-giving vs. self-indulgence

WITH the way things are nowadays, we need to be keen in distinguishing

between real self-giving and a fake one that masks what actually is

self-indulgence. This is because we can now easily make use of many

good things and yet our intentions are not pure.

  

Or we can profess to have a good intention using good means, but in

the end it can be seen that the good intention remains only as an

intention, as a principle, but is not acted upon. We have to be

familiar with the tricks of the fake forms of self-giving. They

usually use good, beautiful and legitimate things to inflict their

poison.

  

Now that we are entering another election season, we can expect

politicians flaunting their self-giving which would already make that

self-giving suspect. Most likely, an ulterior motive is behind all

that. It’s actually self-indulgence that is done right before our

eyes. But then again, let’s be careful with making rash judgments and

just proceed to pray and offer sacrifices that everything is done as

it should be done.

  

Of course, this masking of self-indulgence with shows of self-giving

can happen to anybody. Even the ordinary Juan in the street is prone

to this anomaly. Now with all the technological advances we are

enjoying, it is very easy to make use of them to do some good work and

yet end up simply indulging oneself.

  

The social media, for example, has tremendous usages. It can

facilitate communication. It can open new opportunities for business,

etc. For the religious minded, it can be a good vehicle for

evangelization and apostolate. And yet, it can lead us to nothing

short of self-indulgence, since pride, vanity, arrogance, greed, lust

and envy can easily sneak in and spoil all that good work.

  

We have to be truly guarded against this very likely possibility. And

the secret is simply to be firmly united with God. There’s no other

way. Without God, everything good that we try to do would only be

apparent at best. It would only be a sham, a deception.

  

And God has shown us how to do it in Christ, the second person of the

Blessed Trinity who became man precisely for the purpose, among many

other reasons, of showing us how we can be with God in all

circumstances, whether good or bad, favorable or unfavorable, etc. We

really cannot complain that we would not know how to distinguish

between self-giving and self-indulgence. Christ has shown us the way.

  

Everything good can only come from God. “Every good and perfect gift

is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who

does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1,17)

  

And we can somehow know that we would be with God if our self-giving

would have the following characteristics as articulated by St. James:

“The wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle,

accommodating, full of mercyand good fruit, impartial, and sincere.”

(3,17)

   

We therefore need to pray. We have to be ready to make sacrifices and

to do a lot of self-denial. We have to learn to live always in the

presence of God. Our thoughts, words and deeds should be animated by

purity of intention.

  

And that means that we do everything solely to give glory to God. All

other motives are secondary and should only serve to enhance that

intention of giving glory to God. Otherwise, there’s no other way but

for us to fall sooner or later into self-indulgence and other worse

predicaments.

   

For some practical and concrete means to distinguish between

self-giving and self-indulgence, it might be wise to take away the

camera and to make photo-ops when doing some good works of mercy.