Why Do We Do the Right Thing?

Imagine walking out of the barbershop enjoying a new haircut and then you stumble over large bags of money lying on the sidewalk.  It would only take a few seconds for your mind to begin dreaming about all the things you could now do with all that money - travel, big screen TV, classic car, new house – the sky is the limit as they say. 

Although this seems to fall in the category that if it sounds too good to be true then it probably is not true, it actually happened to David Jenks and Hanson Herring.  These two gentlemen stumbled upon several bags that they initially thought were filled with garbage.  Upon closer inspection, they realized they were filled with money – more than $300,000 actually. 

They soon realized that the bags of money had fallen from a Brinks armored truck.  The proper authorities were called and the money was returned to the rightful owner.  Showing their gratitude, the Brinks Company provided a reward for the two men - a T-shirt and a gold coin commemorating the company's 150th anniversary. 

I don’t know about you, but when I read about the reward given to these men who proved their honesty and saved the company hundreds of thousands of dollars, I was shocked.  All they received was a lousy T-shirt and a throwaway advertising token.  I admit, if I were one of the reward recipients, I would be a little disappointed. 

This recent news story caused me to reflect on why we do things.  What is the motivating factor when we choose to do the right thing?  Why did these two men in Syracuse, New York, call the authorities and return the money rather than pocketing it for themselves?  This is not a casual question.  It is the subject of many philosophical essays and the conundrum faced by numerous ethicists. 

Since I try to have realistic goals and expectations, I do not plan to resolve the ancient philosophical and ethical dilemma within these few paragraphs.  Instead, I want us to reflect on the value of rewards.  Do we normally expect some type of reward for doing the right thing?  Are we more likely to do the right thing if there is some type of benefit that comes our way? What would it take to get you to move from inertia toward positive action?

Anyone who has ever attempted fund raising has learned the power of rewards.  When they give something, many times people want some kind of recognition.  It might be something as small as a brass plaque or as large as putting their name on the side of a building.  Many churches, especially older ones, have metal plates attached to walls and furniture.  The name on the plate honors an individual or a family and is normally tied to a monetary gift. 

Talk to any financial planner and they will tell you that most folks are motivated in their giving by receiving tax benefits. In fact, many people will not make a gift that does not result in some type of tax reduction.  What kind of blow would church income feel if Uncle Sam suddenly took away tax deductions for charitable giving? 

Several years ago I was leading a capital fund campaign in a church.  About halfway through the program, the pastor called one day to report an interesting conversation he had just completed in his office.  A man came and asked how much money he would need to give to the building fund in order to have the new sanctuary named for his wife. It was a serious inquiry because the man had enough money to pay for the entire project.  When he was told that the new church sanctuary would not bear the name of his wife, he withdrew his generous offer.

I hope the two men who returned the Brinks money were not disappointed with the reward.  I am confident they will discover that honesty carries its own reward. In fact, if we are doing things only for what we can get in return, we will miss most of what God has called us to do. 

Comments

[Steve]

There is a viewpoint, expressed in the book "Looking Out for Number 1" and other publicatons, that makes the argument that no one does anything "right" without expecting a reward, even if that reward is nothing more than feling good about doing the right thing. That boils down to nothing more than self centered selfishniss, even though it may appear charitable and "right" on the surface. I believe the only true sacrificially "right" actions are motivated by the Holy Spirit living within a true Christian. What that means is many wealthy individuals do not choose what is right because they are Christian, like in the case of Oprah Winfrey, but because they receve a reduction in the guilt of the wastefulnesses of their own excesses. Nice aricle Terry. I agree with you...the reward from the company was totally inadequate. That is a whole other article on gratitude.