Are You a Do-Gooder?

Hi, my name is Lillian and I am a do-gooder. I feel like I need to find a 12 step program to join when I say that. The truth is – I am. Are you a do-gooder?

What is a do-gooder you say? Well, let me explain that for you. Somebody who thinks they can do everything that is needed to be done. Please don’t think that I feel like I can do everything better than anyone else, because that isn’t true (in most cases). I just think I’m supposed to do everything that comes my way.

Pick me! I can do it.

I support the cause, whatever it may be, mostly the underdog. Not sure where this comes from in my background or is it something that I was born with. Either way it appears to be my life’s work. I’m the one who can’t keep her hand down in a meeting. Trust me I have tried. My hand just automatically lifts itself without me putting any effort into it. When it’s announced, we need a volunteer – there it goes right on cue. Shoots for the ceiling. I look at my arm as if it came from another universe. My poor daughters would beg me, “Mom please don’t volunteer, again. We want to do this (whatever activity it was) by ourselves.” Nope, there it goes, waving as if I was the queen in a parade.

So what is the definition of a do-gooder? Well, I found out not as favorable as I thought.

Webster’s:
someone whose desire and effort to help people (such as poor people) is regarded as wrong, annoying, useless, etc.

What – annoying and useless?
Urban Dictionary:
See bleeding heart liberal. Someone who thinks they are helping society by championing oppressed minority groups when in fact they are ruining society and crippling free speech. Examples: Bra Burners, Tree Huggers and Churchies

Just a note here, I have never burned my bra or hugged a tree. I am however a churchie.

None of these above descriptions seem to be very favorable. So I went looking for more words to describe the do-gooder in me and here is what I found.

• Humanitarian
• Good Samaritan
• Benefactor
• Bleeding Heart
• Good Scout
• Helper
• Patron
• Philanthropist

I can accept most of these except, benefactor, patron and philanthropist because they just bring up dollar signs in my mind, and that isn’t in my abilities. 

So what does that leave me with –

• Humanitarian
• Good Samaritan
• Bleeding Heart
• Good Scout
• Helper

I can accept those. That list says do-gooder to my understanding. So why all this talk about being a do-gooder?

Sometimes we do-gooders get ourselves in a pickle. We get all tied up in doing good and getting things done that we forget one thing. God. We are so busy “doing” that we forget to stop and do-good to God. We forget to sit down, talk to God, and give Him the glory that we have the ability and time to do these things. We forget to ask God if this is really a good cause, project or interest for me to put my time into. 

So while we are fluttering around doing all the good things that need to be done in the world, don’t forget to do-good to God. Thank Him, Praise Him,





May God Bless