If you and I have ever had a conversation that lasted 3 minutes or longer, you know that I'm a F.R.I.E.N.D.S. fanatic and will quote the show in my every-day conversations. I've seen every episode at least 50 times and it's always on in the background of my house.
The other night I was watching The One where Phoebe Hates PBS in which Joey makes a claim that there is no such thing as an "unselfish good deed." He says that any time you do a good deed you feel good, therefore it's selfish. Phoebe disagrees and sets out to find an unselfish good deed. She even lets a bee sting her so it can look cool in front of its bee friends, but in the end she gives up and is unable to find any good deed that does not bring her joy in some way.
When I was younger, like Phoebe, I believed it was possible to find an unselfish good deed. I was triggered that Joey could make such an accusation. I would think long and hard, wracking my brain to find unselfish good deeds, but like Phoebe, I was unsuccessful. Everything I thought to do would also give me at least a little satisfaction.
"I will not [live] in a world where Joey is right!"
Recently my church has been doing sermons on wisdom from Proverbs, and last Sunday I finally got an answer to this "unselfish good deed" dilemma! It turns out Joey was right in saying there is no good deed that won't bring you some sense of joy, but I've learned that feeling good for doing good does not make you selfish.
We are made in God's image, and by doing "good deeds" we are fulfilling our purpose of looking like Him. Doing good feels good because God is affirming our actions. How generous that our Father gave us an incentive to do what we were made to do!
So I now feel free to let all the bees I want sting me and be force-fed cookies by the neighbors! Thanks Phoebs and Joey.
Until next time,
Gabby