During one of my morning walks, my thoughts were drawn toward the resurrection of our Lord. While there are many angles to this event that could be pondered, I became entranced on the idea that Jesus didn’t wait to do what needed done. Christ made good on His prophesy that He would rise from death on the third day.  He did so even though there was no one standing around to applaud such a spectacular feat. Had He waited until the fourth or fifth day, perhaps someone would have seen Him being great. Instead, though He had no witnesses, He did the right thing when it needed to be done. He kept His promise.

Many of us, me included, pursue the accolades that go with doing the right thing. We enjoy a pat on the back after doing something out of the ordinary. Sometimes, we even delay the timing of our actions to make sure we have at least one witness to a good deed. A simple example comes from my own experience – or struggle – with the need to have someone know.  One fine Saturday, I cleaned the double-glass door leading to the deck outside of our sitting room.  It truly needed wiped down after a long, harsh winter. So, I did it.  No one saw me put forth the time and elbow grease necessary to tackle the build up of dirt. I waited that evening for my husband to notice the sparkling glass glinting in the waning sun.  Alas, he didn’t comment. Swallowing the need to tell him about the effort, I made it through that night without forcing him to acknowledge what a good job I did on the doors. The next morning was a new day. Over coffee, I pointed out with pride how beautiful the doors looked after a good scrubbing.  The two second-long celebration of my disclosure was disappointing, but now that someone knew, I could go on with my life.

Did it make a difference announcing what a good thing I had done?  No. There are times, however, when it is proper that someone witness or be made aware of the great things we do.  Jesus, for instance, decided it was the right thing to make sure people knew that He rose from the dead.  This miracle was for human sake, but His followers didn’t believe it beyond doubt. For the right reasons, for forty days after rising, Christ went about squashing those doubts, assuring disciples that He was indeed risen, that He would be with them always, and teaching them what to do with that knowledge.

So, we are left with the moral of my story:  If we imitate Christ, we accept our duty to do the right thing at the right time, without attachment to that need to be the center of attention for pride’s sake.  When we imitate Christ, we act knowing – at appropriate times – our actions are witnessed or shared because they become teaching moments and/or will positively affect the lives of others.  My cleaning those glass doors was not one of those moments.  Realizing that every breath I take is witnessed by God, my task could have been offered as an act of love to be acknowledged only between me and Him. It is with humility that I turn to Him asking for the ability to act for human sake instead of pride’s sake.