Charity and the Ego
We can offer our time and money to many worthwhile causes in our community, our nation and around the world. By so doing, we can improve the lives of others, and enrich our lives in the process.
As with just about every activity we engage in, the ego is not a passive participant when it comes to charitable giving. The ego is often front and center, crying out for recognition – and wondering how its actions compare with the actions of others.
I think all of us have some ego involvement when it comes to our charitable giving. Here’s a test you can take. Consider a religious or non-religious organization that you belong to or support financially. It could be a religious congregation where you attend services regularly. It could be an environmental group. Maybe you contribute funds toward finding a cure for a particular disease.
If that organization were to publish a list of all contributions made by people in your community (including the precise amount of each person’s contribution), would you have an interest in reading the list to see who gave – and how much they gave?
I’d look at the list, yet I realize it is my ego that wants to know. My spirit has no need to see the list. Whether someone else contributed, or how much they gave, is irrelevant.
It’s funny how people will judge the amounts given by others to charity. We know someone in our community who has been blessed with wealth and we wonder why he or she is not giving more to charitable causes or organizations. The ego loves to judge others and establish standards of conduct that others should be following.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not against charitable giving. Many people are helped when we give our time and money, regardless of our motive. We should extend a helping hand whenever possible.
But we can do it without the ego. We can give anonymously in ways that others will not know about our contribution. We don’t need to be on a list of donors. We don’t need to have the amounts of our gifts announced in front of others.
Many organizations encourage the disclosure of contributors and amounts as they feel it encourages others to participate and to be generous. In the end, they say, the key is to collect as much money as possible, so the organization can be successful in doing its work. There is some truth to that.
I still like to believe that we can give because we love to give and serve others. The reward is in the giving and not in the recognition we receive. It’s not easy to push the ego out of the way when it comes to charity. The ego loves to be patted on the back for its generosity.
Be aware of the ego and how it operates when you choose to give time and money to organizations and charities. The reward of giving from your heart is all you need. This is the unconditional love from the spirit.
– Jeff Keller
© 2008