Today we will delight you with the promised drawings from our children. The children will send them to those who sent gifts. And we will admire their creativity and share their joy.

But that’s not all for today. Today I would like to raise an issue that worries many people. Everyone has heard a certain dubious expression: “do not do good and you will not receive evil.” Behind this expression stands the same devilish lie that he, the devil, told Eve in paradise. He seems to be telling the truth, but it’s all a blatant lie. I think many have encountered just such a truth in their lives; it even sounds like that same insinuating hiss with which the devil spoke to Eve.

This expression really confuses many people. In fact, the answer lies on the surface, and it is extremely simple. As they say: “the casket just opened.” Indeed: very often a person who does good deeds “comes in last.” It seems: I’ve done so much, but in return I received a bunch of evil, sorrow, insults, injustice. “And why is this happening?” — each of us thinks when faced with something like this.

Here a person does the works of Christ for the sake of his own salvation, because it is said that faith without works is dead (James 2:14). In order to strengthen your faith with deeds and fulfill the commandments, it does not happen that after such deeds, with just such motivation, everyone bowed at your feet, your home is filled with peace and goodness, and other blessings. People who do good for Christ’s sake often suffer great sorrows, lose their businesses, families, and health (not always, of course).

This is because the path of salvation is narrow and sorrowful, and as soon as a person takes a step towards Christ, he receives sorrow in this world: “I have spoken these things to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but take heart: I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

The Lord did not promise a comfortable life. But if you do good deeds for the sake of the deeds themselves, for the sake of praise or strengthening self-esteem, affirmation that you are a kind good person, as for example, the Pharisee reasoned that he gave tithes, then there will be a reward. There will be recognition from people, glory, respect, but there will be no glory from God. So you have to make a choice — your own choice.

The Lord said that the hand of the giver will not fail — and this is true, because in fact, even if you become poor, even if you give away everything you had, the hand of the giver will not fail. The boomerang of good always returns. And you don’t need to listen to the devil’s speeches that you shouldn’t do good. He is a liar and the father of lies.