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IwishIknew
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Looking for tangible, practical insights. 
What is the difference between doing a good deed with Christ's Love and just doing a good deed?
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GEddie
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No good deed goes unpunished; but if you do it with HIS love, even if you are punished, as HE was, you will be closer to HIM.Looking for tangible, practical insights.
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George_Stegmeir
Guest
I know that I will get some flak for this, but don’t worry about God’s love when doing a good deed. Just do the good deed for the reason that it is a good deed. In that way, God’s love will automatically be with you.
By doing a good deed with the intent of obtaining God’s love sort of presumes upon God’s mercy and lessens the beneficence of the deed… In effect you are telling God that you wouldn’t do the deed without getting benefits for yourself.
By doing a good deed with the intent of obtaining God’s love sort of presumes upon God’s mercy and lessens the beneficence of the deed… In effect you are telling God that you wouldn’t do the deed without getting benefits for yourself.
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MrSnaith
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I suppose that depends on what you mean by “with Christ’s Love.”
Do you mean, “with the aid of Christ’s love?”
Do you mean, “motivated by the love of Christ?”
Do you mean, “in imitation of Christ’s love?”
Do you mean, “by the love of Christ working through you?”
Do you mean, “with the same kind of love that Christ had?”
The answer will most certainly vary depending on how you mean your question.
Do you mean, “with the aid of Christ’s love?”
Do you mean, “motivated by the love of Christ?”
Do you mean, “in imitation of Christ’s love?”
Do you mean, “by the love of Christ working through you?”
Do you mean, “with the same kind of love that Christ had?”
The answer will most certainly vary depending on how you mean your question.
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LittleFlower378
Guest
Being in Gods love and in Gods sanctifying grace not only increaeses good deeds but also allows the Holy Spirit to work within us. Without Christs love we are clashing gong.
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ricmat
Guest
From St. Faustina’s Diary #484
“On a certain occasion, I understood how very displeased God is with an act, however commendable, that does not bear the stamp of a pure intention. Such deeds incite God to punishment rather than to reward. May such deeds be as few as possible in our lives; indeed, in religious life, there should be none at all.”
I just read this last night
Also, chapter 3 of My Daily Bread includes the following:
“A right intention, however, may have different degrees of perfection. Thus, when you do something simply to please Me, your intention is higher than if you think of your own advantage. Still, whatever be the degree of your right intention, it always seeks to fulfill My Will, and it always brings you to a greater good than any intention which seeks only your earthly welfare.”
“On a certain occasion, I understood how very displeased God is with an act, however commendable, that does not bear the stamp of a pure intention. Such deeds incite God to punishment rather than to reward. May such deeds be as few as possible in our lives; indeed, in religious life, there should be none at all.”
I just read this last night
Also, chapter 3 of My Daily Bread includes the following:
“A right intention, however, may have different degrees of perfection. Thus, when you do something simply to please Me, your intention is higher than if you think of your own advantage. Still, whatever be the degree of your right intention, it always seeks to fulfill My Will, and it always brings you to a greater good than any intention which seeks only your earthly welfare.”
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IwishIknew
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Thank you all for your insights! Much appreciated.
My guess is that there are a few things to distinguish:
My guess is that there are a few things to distinguish:
- Being in a state of grace. I’m guessing that one will reap rewards for all good deeds done if one dies in a state of grace (either going to purgatory or heaven). Also, just guessing, that if one is in a state of grace while committing a good deed, one is joined in an extra special way with the Goodness of God. As a result there is greater grace joined to that good deed.
- A good deed done while raising one’s mind to think of God, offering it to God (as a priest does with our gifts or a child does with one’s mother giving her flowers), further elevates that good deed. As a result, there is even greater grace joined to that good deed.
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ricmat
Guest
I would only add that doing good deeds “for merit” is not nearly as correct as doing good deeds:
a) Because God said to do it.
b) Because it makes God happy
c) For God’s glory, instead of our own glory.
It seems to me that when we get into the whole calculation of how, when, what, and where is best for our merit, we lose many opportunities that God puts before us.
it makes God happy. And doing good deeds for merit is not as correct as doing good deeds for God’s glory.
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IwishIknew
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Point taken - God certainly does not tell us what our good deeds accomplished are worth.
And there must be a reason for that.
At the same time, Christ does stress the importance of doing good deeds to store up treasure in heaven. So it is one of His motivational tools to help encourage us to do good deeds when the feeling of “love” has dissipated.
Example: when a mother is done with her children at the end of the day - and as saintly as she is, she is just done, done, done loving them. The motive of a treasure for continuing the good deeds (rather than say, ignoring her arguing kids, losing her temper, throwing her kids at the husband when he comes home, etc.) can help in such scenarios.
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Charlemagne_III
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Doing a good dead without knowledge of Christ can be as good as doing a good deed with knowledge of Christ, because God (who is also Christ) planted the natural law in us all from the beginning, so we are to do good and avoid evil.
However, doing a good deed with knowledge of Christ brings with it a motivation that cannot be easily questioned as the motive of doing a good thing while in defiance of Christ. For example, doing a good deed (whether one is a Christian or an atheist) for the purpose of showing off one’s virtue is not the same as doing a good deed because it is the right thing to do, or because we do it since we know Christ wants us to do it. Moreover, the mindset for doing virtuous acts is enhanced by knowing Christ; enhanced in the sense that we have a more firm discipline in doing good than if we just do good because at the moment we feel like doing something good. Mother Teresa’s virtue is superior to the millionaire who donates generously, but gets a tax write-off for doing so and a building named after him.
However, doing a good deed with knowledge of Christ brings with it a motivation that cannot be easily questioned as the motive of doing a good thing while in defiance of Christ. For example, doing a good deed (whether one is a Christian or an atheist) for the purpose of showing off one’s virtue is not the same as doing a good deed because it is the right thing to do, or because we do it since we know Christ wants us to do it. Moreover, the mindset for doing virtuous acts is enhanced by knowing Christ; enhanced in the sense that we have a more firm discipline in doing good than if we just do good because at the moment we feel like doing something good. Mother Teresa’s virtue is superior to the millionaire who donates generously, but gets a tax write-off for doing so and a building named after him.
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