Does Being Good Pay Off?

What do you think? Does being good pay off? Or is that the wrong question, because “virtue is its own reward”?

Does what goes around come around? Including good stuff? Do we reap what we sow-plant cabbage and cabbage comes up, plant corn and corn  comes up, plant good things and good things come up?

It’s been about twenty years since I that decided yes, we reap what we sow. Someone had done something bad to me and I was throwing myself a pity party. How could they? After I trusted them and only did them good?

Suddenly I was struck by the fact that I had done exactly the same thing to someone about fifteen years earlier. Exactly. So maybe all those karma-things are true-but over the long run. Because you can lie, cheat, and steal over the short run and “prosper.”

I decided that I would refrain from doing rotten things and try to do good things from that point on. But perhaps I had a residue of bad things that would still be rolling inexorably toward me. Well, whatever, you’ve got to start somewhere and where else can you start but exactly where you are right now?

My daughter has gone through hard times, really hard times for someone so young. She nevertheless believes that reaping and sowing thing. After a few years of continuing hard times, she asked, “Why do all these all things keep happening? I try to be kind and I help poor people and stand up for what is right and work hard…”

I referred her to Job who was a really good guy who went through hard times, and to the story Jesus told about a tower falling on some people: “Do you think those people were worse sinners than others?” he asked. Yes, yes, we do. That’s just how we are.

Today my daughter got good news in the mail. She has been chosen from thousands of employees for a special training program and big raise. Why? I think its because consistent honesty and hard work and kindness do pay off. In the long run.

And meanwhile, you sleep like a contented baby at night.