No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

Have you heard people say that?  It’s another one of those statements that people often throw out there as if it’s a universally-accepted fact (“as everybody knows…”).  It’s also another example of how often those idioms people lightly offer up are negative and convey a sense of futility that isn’t accurate or helpful.

Supposedly, when people say “no good deed goes unpunished,” they’re saying that very, very often it doesn’t pay to try to be considerate, helpful to others, because efforts like that tend to bring a backlash of harm to the person who was just trying to be nice.  For example, someone might perform some “good Samaritan-like” deed to help someone injured or ill out in a public place, and as a result that good Samaritan might get sued and saddled with some part of the beneficiary’s medical bill, etc.

So, if we heed this “word of wisdom” what might result?  For one thing we can all sit and cry about the injustice of it all and what a terrible life is ours that things often work out that way such that no good deed goes unpunished.  For another thing we can stop doing good deeds so as to avoid the inevitable punishment good deeds bring on a person.  Again, I really must wonder, why would anyone ever utter this way-less-than-helpful statement?

It truly is not in the Bible!  The Bible says not to think that good deeds will equate to salvation, but the Bible encourages us to do good deeds, to be a blessing to others, to this world.  “For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life” (Ephesians 2:10).  “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Maybe sometimes it is risky to do the right thing or perform the good deed.  Maybe sometimes there are negative repercussions we couldn’t have envisioned beforehand.  But I would contend those instances are the great, great minority of instances, and that the truth is, the great majority of the time, it’s worth it.  When in doubt, just bless ‘em, just do the golden rule.  Think this world is a lousy place?  Imagine what it would be like if nobody took a chance and did good!