The Spiritual Danger of Doing Good

by Peter Greer, Anna Haggard (With), Brian Fikkert (Foreword)

A Powerful Warning for All Interested in Charity and Christian Service

What happens when Christian ministry and social justice lead to burnout, pride, or worse? Peter Greer knows firsthand how this can happen. Using stories from his own life and the lives of others in ministry, Greer shows everyone from CEOs to weekend volunteers how to protect themselves from the unseen hazards of doing good works and how to keep the flame of passionate ministry burning brightly. Includes end-of-chapter questions for personal reflection or group discussion.

Genres: Leadership, Nonfiction, Christian, Faith, Christian Living, Christianity, Theology

192 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2013

About the author

Peter Greer is an author, speaker, and president and CEO of HOPE International, a global faith-based economic development organization serving throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. Peter received a B.S. in international business from Messiah University and an MPP in political and economic development from Harvard's Kennedy School.
As an advocate for the Church’s role in missions and alleviating extreme poverty, Peter has co-authored over 14 books, including The Gift of Disillusionment, Mission Drift (selected as a 2015 Book Award Winner from Christianity Today), Rooting for Rivals (selected as a 2019 Leadership Resource of the Year in Outreach magazine), The Spiritual Danger of Doing Good (selected as one of the top 40 books on poverty by WORLD magazine) and Created to Flourish. More important than his role at HOPE is his role as husband to Laurel and dad to Keith, Liliana, Myles, and London. While his sports loyalties remain in New England, Peter and his family live in Lancaster, PA.

Blog: peterkgreer.com. Twitter: @peterkgreer. Facebook: @PeterKGreer

Reviews

[Cierra Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hate the writing style, I don't know why they didn't fire their editors. the message of the book is good, but the delivery is messy and unprofessional, which lowered its credibility. I personally did not connect well with the book, but it does say some good things, and someone who loves a good story will love the style of this book.

[Becca Shrock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Challenged & inspired

[Mary Ann Benjamins · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Spiritual Danger of Doing Good,” by Peter Greer is a readable cautionary tale for those involved in biblical ministry. Greer, armed with many examples of leaders who fell from grace, Greer opens with his own near miss. Greer says, “Ministry took precedence over everything,” right up until the day his wife sat him down and gave it to him straight, “You are choosing your ministry over me—and I feel nothing for you.” With those words ringing in his ears Greer was forced to take a personal inventory and he didn’t like what he saw. He realized that, “It’s possible to sacrificially serve God and be completely self-centred in the process.” Greer also observed that, “unless we rediscover the foundation of service, our good works can be all about us: promoting our image, heightening our own vanity and pride. Service becomes a means to achieve our dreams, our purposes, our goals. Phony activism and selfish service will eventually be exposed.” Greer cites the disturbing statistic that only one in three biblical leaders finish well. The lure of power and pride led two-thirds to fall, hurting themselves and often others in the process. All in all Greer’s book challenges us to take a good hard look at ourselves. If success begins in our family, where are our priorities? What motivates us? Do we secretly want people to notice us or is Christ front and centre?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Greer narrowly avoided self-destruction and humbly offers his story to keep others from making the same often fatal mistakes. Between the pages of “The Spiritual Danger of Doing Good,” Greer alternately warns and challenges us to exemplify Christ. Occasionally his biblical examples seem a bit forced and I found the last few chapters a bit repetitious. Yet, if you are in church ministry, this book is a must read. With a built-in study guide it lends itself as an excellent choice for training material for ministry and leadership groups. Amazing inspiring read!

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

[Adam Shields · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have spent my whole adult working career in the Christian non-profit world. I have witnessed a number of situations where there has been burnout, mistreatment of staff (in the name of doing good), failure of leadership, leaders ending badly and more.

In a very readable, and story laden book, Greer (and his co-author Anna Haggard) walk through 14 different spiritual dangers that particularly affect those that are trying to do good, especially doing good in Christ's name.

I remember reading an article while in grad school that people in service professions, especially those that view themselves as doing good, can actually be more likely to lie and mislead those around them because they feel they deserve it or because their good works off-set any 'small mistakes' that they make. That article had a lot of influence on the ways I thought about doing good work. This is only one of the areas that Greer mentions, but he does give a lot of examples of how we can miss what we are actually striving for in the process of doing good.

Some of the spiritual dangers are neglecting family, doing instead of being, using the wrong measuring stick to define success, being superficial, elevating the sacred over the secular and more.

There is nothing in this book that is particularly original, other books say fairly similar things, but this is the only book that I know that is particularly focused on those that work in Christian non-profits.

And even if other books have said similar things, it is a message that we often forget and we all can use a reminder. The book has discussions questions and would make a good discussion book for a non-profit staff or small group.

My only slightly longer review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/spiritual-danger/

[B. Tyler Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who desires to use my life to do good, the title of Peter Greer’s new book immediately caught my attention as I browsed the shelves at a local bookstore, “The Spiritual Danger of Doing Good.”

Doing good is good. What could be spiritually dangerous about it, I thought? Curiosity made me take the book off the shelf and flip it over to the back. There, I saw the book’s subtitle, “Charity and service have a dark side,” followed by endorsements from three people I know of and respect, Craig Groeschel, Shane Claiborne, and Brad Lomenick.

I had not heard of Peter Greer before, so I opened the flap to discover that, as the President and CEO of HOPE International, he is qualified to write on the subject, as his global nonprofit focuses on addressing people’s physical and spiritual needs through microfinance.

Next, I went to the Table of Contents. For me, these chapter headings are what made me buy the book.

• The Spiritual Danger of Giving Leftovers to Loved Ones
• The Spiritual Danger of Doing Instead of Being
• The Spiritual Danger of Justifying Minor Moral Lapses for a Good Cause
• The Spiritual Danger of Using the Wrong Measuring Stick to Define Success
• The Spiritual Danger of Friendship Superficiality
• The Spiritual Danger of Elevating the Sacred Over the Secular
• The Spiritual Danger of Thinking You’re the Superhero in Your Story
• The Spiritual Danger of Not Having Ears to Hear the Uncomfortable Truth
• The Spiritual Danger of Forgetting Your True Identity
• The Spiritual Danger of Seeing Everyone’s Sin but Your Own
• The Spiritual Danger of Being Obsessed With What Others Think
• The Spiritual Danger of Disconnecting Knowledge From Action
• The Spiritual Danger of Pretending to Have It All Together

The chapters are short and each concludes with questions that readers can journal or discuss with others. They also include a link to the author’s website, where readers can explore related articles, photos, and videos.

The Gist of the Book
There is a lot of good going on in the world today. And while the author wants to fan this flame and encourage even more outrageous acts of service, his book seeks to address the fact that doing good also has the potential to do damage to you and those you’re trying to serve. For many, doing good has led to burnout, infidelity, lost faith, financial compromise, and personal meltdowns.

As seen in the chapter headings listed above, Peter Greer does well to come at this issue from many angles. He shares personal stories from his own ministry and marriage, along with relevant stories from the Bible. The book emphatically addresses why we serve and why our motives matters.

This is a very good book with reminders I needed to hear, and am happy to recommend it to others.

Top 15 Favorite Quotes
1. “Only one out of three leaders in the Bible “maintained a dynamic faith that enabled them to avoid abusing their power or doing something harmful to themselves or others.” ~Peter Greer
2. “Without evaluating our motives, it is possible to love our service more than we love our Savior.” ~Peter Greer
3. “When you help someone out, don’t think about how it looks. Just do it – quietly and unobtrusively.” ~Jesus (Matthew 6:1-4, The Message)
4. “Going through the motions doesn’t please you, a flawless performance is nothing to you. I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered.” ~King David (Psalm 51:16-17, The Message)
5. “It’s possible to sacrificially serve God and be completely self-centered in the process.” ~Peter Greer
6. “The proof of spiritual maturity is not how ‘pure’ you are but your awareness of your impurity. That very awareness opens the door to grace.” ~Philip Yancey
7. “A [person] ought to live so that everybody knows he is a Christian … and most of all, his family ought to know.” ~D.L. Moody
8. “If you’re married, recognize you hold a covenant with your spouse, not your work.” ~Peter Greer
9. “Eighty percent of pastor’ spouses feel their spouse is overworked … and 50 percent of pastor’ marriages will end in divorce.” ~Bill Bright
10. “We are forgiven, accepted, and loved not because of what we do, but because of what Jesus Christ has already done on the cross.” ~Peter Greer
11. “It is the business of the Church to recognize that the secular vocation, as such, is sacred.” ~Dorothy Sayers
12. “In Kingdom Calling, author Amy Sherman unpacks Proverbs 11:10 and details how “When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices.” The majority of the righteous – those who know God’s heart – are not working in the temple. Rather they work within the city in every sort of occupation. When they flourish in honoring God through their work, there is major celebration.” ~Peter Greer
13. “God’s mission agency includes bankers, nurses, and bricklayers.” ~Peter Greer
14. “Small acts of obedience to the Father are big acts in the Kingdom.” ~Peter Greer
15. “When we’re consumed with thinking much of ourselves, we are incapable of thinking much of God.” ~Peter Greer

[Ginnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peter Greer cites a study by Dr. J. Robert Clinton that showed only one in three biblical leaders had faith that enabled them to avoid abusing their power or doing something harmful to themselves or others." Greer notes, "Doing good turns out to be a lot more difficult that I originally thought it should be." "You can be serving successfully but headed in the wrong direction."

To help the reader stay headed in the right direction, Greer offers a list of spiritual dangers, with ways to identify, prevent and/or resolve the dangers.

SPIRITUAL DANGERS
1. Letting your ministry become your mistress, gradually losing sight of family and other important areas of life.

2. Getting stuck in a rut, forgetting why you are serving, pursuing recognition instead of growth.

3. Justifying minor moral lapses for a good cause, such as exaggerating, overselling the impact of your service. Leads to believing the rules don't apply to you.

4. Using the wrong measuring stick to define success; pride.

5. Friendship superficiality, lack of accountability. (We need 3 a.m. friends, people we can call on day or night and who we know will speak truth.)

6. Elevating the sacred over the secular. Abraham Kuyper: In the total expanse of human life there is not a single square inch of which the Christ does not declare, "That is mine!"

7. Thinking you're the superhero in your story. Forget center stage. Engage in the ministry of small things.

8. Not having ears to hear the uncomfortable truth. We need prophetic critique in our lives, especially when we are doing good.

9. Forgetting our true identity; false belief that we must do a little more to make God love us.

10. Thinking good things always happen to good people, Christian karma. God asks us not only to accept our own pain but to enter into the pain of others.

11. Seeing everyone's sin but our own. We can see the spinach stuck in someone else's teeth while remaining completely unaware of the larger piece in our teeth.

12. Being obsessed with what others think, performing.

13. Disconnecting knowledge from action, focusing on doing without a solid foundation of learning.

14. Pretending to have it all together, trying to cover over the undesirable parts of our lives.

In summary, Greer says, "...let's remember why we serve...It's out of a heart posture of gratitude to a God who knows we aren't perfect, who recognizes that we are a mess, and who loves us anyway."

Filled with personal illustrations from the author's family and work life, the ideas he presents are worthy of consideration by everyone who sets out to do good (which should be all of us) and not just ministry leaders. He writes clearly and convincingly. Recommended.

[Stephanie Sheaffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The thesis of The Spiritual Danger of Doing Good is that there are many inherent dangers in attempting to “do great things for God” while forgetting “who we are becoming” (17) and “why we serve” (176).

Greer organized his succinct and personal book into seventeen small chapters. The first two chapters set the stage for the topic and the next fourteen chapters pinpoint a particular “danger” that Christian leaders face as they strive to do good. The final chapter concludes with a challenge to the reader, encouraging him or her to set aside pride and pursue Christ, knowing that our hearts are deceitful and that anything that is good comes from the Lord himself.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a danger in doing good.

I read this book by Peter Greer because of just having finished another of his other books he co-authored titled "Mission Drift." Both of these books are challenging to me as I seek to serve our Creator and Savior from a heart broken that has been repaired by my same Creator and Savior. This book reminds me to always ask myself "why" am I doing this service. I want everything we do to be done with a grateful heart and genuine desire to serve because of what He has done.
Margaret Heaton
Priscilla and Aquila Ministries

[Scott Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greer covers the many paths of destruction that are adjacent to the road of doing good for others. In this vulnerable, comprehensive analysis, he not only shares his own struggles but provides many case studies. Though there may not be a sure-fire manual for avoiding the pitfalls, there is the call to be ever humble, curious and connected to Christ and our fellow followers of His.

[Eric Black · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peter Greer offers a handful of lessons he learned the hard way about the subtle temptations faced by do-gooders. This quick read can serve those in social ministry as a regular check up and accountability measure.

[Brice Karickhoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice component of the 8 book starter pack on how to start living your life to make the world a better place. Challenging for all us millennial change-the-world types. Peter Greer writes from experiences that I find very valuable.

[Yvonne Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great reminder of the always remember that Jesus paid it all. All of our good works amount to filthy rags when we do them for the approval of others. Our works of service should never come before loving God and loving our families.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was incredible! I would highly recommend it to anyone currently or planning on working in the non-profit sector. Although it has a significant amount of Christian undertones, it has valuable messages that can benefit everyone regardless of their spiritual beliefs.

[Josh Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought provoking and challenging. A timely read for our current times in Christendom...

[Eric Pitts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing new for me but a great book to read for anyone who has good intentions and hopes to work with the poor.

[Sara Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

An easy read and humbling reminder. This is probably one of those books that should be re-read on a yearly basis for anyone who finds themselves engaging in social justice work.

[Amanda Sagastume · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick read with great reminders of our purpose behind living a life of service. A book that I’ll keep on my shelf to read periodically as a reminder.

[Sarah McCoy Isaacs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peter Greer has given us a book that is insightful and is an easy read. I appreciate very much that Greer has taken the work of recent authors who have questioned the “good” nature of our good works (Robert D. Lupton, Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert) and now asked the question: what perils do we as individuals face, spiritually, mentally, and in our interpersonal relationships when we do this work? There needs to be a larger conversation about these issues, and it needs to be an honest one. In seventeen brief chapters gives guidance and shares experiences from his own career as the president and CEO of HOPE International, managing to be honest without being self-effacing.
Though I found the whole of the book useful, there was one part that really struck me. I am results-oriented. I excelled when given chore charts, which I was eager to fill up with gold starts to win the approval of my parents and peers. As I grew older, chore charts gave way to homework folders, report cards, syllabi and degree programs. Give me your expectations and I will rise to meet them. If there is something to be done, I want to do it first, best, and with the neatest penmanship. It is who I am. For this reason, it was the central message of Peter Greer's latest work, The Spiritual Danger of Doing Good that I really needed to hear. He asks his readers (assuming an audience either considering or currently engaged in serving others in some capacity) to check their motives. While arguably motives matter for people of all faiths/schools of thought, there is a distinct difference for people of faith. He writes:

The core message of grace is religious anarchy. We are forgiven, accepted, and loved not because of what we do but because of what Jesus Christ has already done on the cross. Independent of our performance, we are loved. We simply can't earn the forgiveness we desperately need, which God offers freely... (56).

I know this, of course. I have been taught this in so many words and in so many lessons since I was a child. Does that stop me from being the first one to want to look for a clear expectation of what is required of me, so that I can do it? No. That's what I do, every day and in nearly every situation. And while there is nothing wrong, necessarily, with wanting to work hard or do your best – especially when you are part of something that you know is making a real difference, and you are certain that this is where you are called to be at this time, in even framing things in such a way the focus is on yourself. “What do you want me to do?” If I had to guess at what I could do, generally, it would be to stop framing things in such a way that “I” am the central individual.
Peter Greer has given us a book that is insightful and is an easy read. I appreciate very much that Greer has taken the work of recent authors who have questioned the “good” nature of our good works (Robert D. Lupton, Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert) and now asked the question: what perils do we as individuals face, spiritually, mentally, and in our interpersonal relationships when we do this work? There needs to be a larger conversation about these issues, and it needs to be an honest one. In seventeen brief chapters gives guidance and shares experiences from his own career as the president and CEO of HOPE International, managing to be honest without being self-effacing.
The final chapter gives guidance for making serious changes if necessary: if the previous chapters have raised some serious red flags. No matter how long you have currently been serving, whether you are an unpaid intern on a staff of hundreds or the founder of a successful non-profit, Greer's book will encourage you to make both some immediate and long-range changes in how you are thinking, planning, and serving.

[Kerry Lofton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Peter is so relatable when it comes to talking about things we all struggle with and offers practical and Biblically sound advice! He offered just enough humor, personal stories and short enough chapters to make his point but not bore you. One of the best books I've ever read!

[Timothy Hoiland · Rating 4 out of 5]

In recent years, conversations about charity and community service have begun to focus more and more on the ways in which charity can be toxic and helping can hurt. We’ve been reminded that when it comes to international relief and development, good intentions are not enough. These are timely and crucial reminders—timely because there are more nonprofits starting up than ever before, and crucial given the weight of the problems they are aiming to address. Those sparking these conversations (at times rather provocatively) have helped countless individuals, churches, small nonprofits, and large NGOs to more faithfully walk with the poor without doing harm.

The Spiritual Danger of Doing Good, the new book from Peter Greer (@peterkgreer) of HOPE International, has some obvious parallels with books like Toxic Charity and When Helping Hurts, but while these existing works focus primarily (though not exclusively) on the harm we can do to others despite the best of intentions, Greer’s book turns our attention inward, asking us to consider the ways in which charity and community service all too often set us up to fail as people—as husbands, wives, fathers, friends, and most significantly, as followers of Christ. The point is not to remain permanently fixated on ourselves, of course; instead, we closely examine the inner workings of our hearts from time to time precisely because who we are shapes what we do, and what we do inevitably impacts others, for better or worse.

Though some aid bloggers and critics (and some pastors, for that matter) are given to rather uncharitable jeremiads against what they perceive as the status quo—thus risking the loss of trust among those who find themselves indicted by their screeds—Greer avoids the same counterproductive reaction by writing a book that from start to finish is consistently winsome and characterized by humility, while addressing difficult truths.

Rather than prescribing specific one-size-fits-all fixes, Greer instead appeals to pain points we’ve all experienced, and he shares what has helped him as he has wrestled with them along the way. Among these themes are the dangers of throwing oneself so entirely into the cause that only leftovers remain for loved ones; of justifying moral lapses “for a good cause”; of living with a sacred-secular dualism; and of failing to build relationships marked by accountability.

Greer’s honesty about the ways in which he has learned these lessons the hard way is refreshingly disarming, and will give many readers the courage and freedom to face up to their own failures and to grow into the kinds of servants and leaders God has created them to be.

From pastors to social workers to globe-trotting humanitarians, and all sorts of others in between, this book is essential reading for those serious about cultivating lives of integrity that matter for those they seek to serve.

- See more at: http://timhoiland.com/2013/10/greer-s...

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter Greer is no stranger to doing good. As president and CEO of HOPE International, he has invested his life in addressing both physical and spiritual poverty through microfinance. However he also knows the shadow side which can accompany good doing. When people give their life in service through activism, missions or ministry, they may end up serving from the wrong center. Some serve to earn salvation. Some give their life to a cause to prove their own worth. The Christian response should be to serve out of a response of overflowing gratitude for all Christ has done on our behalf. Unfortunately, we often louse that up and end up casting more shadow than light.

In The Spiritual Danger of Doing Good Greer shares his own journey of ways he’s ‘done good’ but from the wrong motivation. At one point he devoted his life to ministry but ended up giving ‘leftovers’ his wife and family. He had bought into a sort of Christian Karma which declared if ‘I do this for God, God will do (fill in the blank for me). He has used the wrong measuring stick in defining success and has compared himself to others. The lessons he’s learned along the way help us be aware of where our ministry might have slid into the danger zone.

Greer shares lots of stories of where ‘doing good’ can be dangerous for our souls. He isn’t trying to talk us out of doing good, but to examine our internal motivations. So he turns over the idea of ‘doing good’ and points to the places of possible danger. We’ve all heard the stories of the Christian leader who blows up and blows it. Greer gets us to examine our own hearts in action before our own life falls off the rails. The fact that he does it with humor and grace is an added bonus.

Much of the advice in this book is practical good advice like: have friends you are accountable to, listen to feedback, being authentic and humble, don’t take photos of nursing gorillas or tell a room full of ministry supporters that you welcome them with open legs (a language error, in case you were wondering). These should be obvious and basic. Unfortunately life in ministry can sometimes reflexively fall into the category of ‘doing important tasks’ without doing the hard work of self reflection which should accompany ministry. Greer’s book provides a good diagnostic tool for Christian ministers.

I enjoyed this book and give it four stars. It is a good read for active minded people who like to ‘get involved’ in ‘helping others.’ Greer’s recommendations will help us do that from a healthier place.

Thanks to Bethany House for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

No one tells you when you’re signing up for nursery duty or applying to be a missionary or answering a call to pastoral ministry that it might be spiritually dangerous.

But as Peter Greer writes in his new book The Spiritual Danger of Doing Good, Christian service, whether paid or volunteer, ought to come with a warning label. (Disclaimer: I received a free advanced reading copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.)

"While charity can harm others, doing good can also wreak havoc on us. … Without evaluating our motives, it is possible to love our service more than we love our Savior."

Greer is the CEO of HOPE International, a nonprofit that focuses on microfinance as a means to end physical and spiritual poverty. His book is full of personal experiences of doing good for the wrong reasons with the wrong motive and paints an honest picture of what can happen in a person’s life, family and ministry when service takes precedence over everything else.

The book is funny and a little bit self-deprecating. Greer gives readers no reason to think he’s got it all together or is a saint when it comes to serving for the right reasons. Even as the CEO of a nonprofit, he’s still a human. He includes stories of others who have experienced personal failure while their ministry was thriving. It’s a fascinating and quick read, though by no means is it an “easy” read.

The Spiritual Danger of Doing Good is a warning as well as an encouragement to check your ego, your motives, and your personal relationships often in the midst of whatever job or ministry God calls you to. I wish this book had been published five years ago, before my husband went to seminary. And I’d recommend it to anyone who serves in the local church, as a longtime volunteer or full-time paid staff.

Greer’s message is that important.

Practical, applicable, relevant, The Spiritual Danger of Doing Good is not to be missed. And each chapter concludes with a link to bonus material on Greer’s Web site in the form of photos and videos. I look forward to viewing these “extras.”

For more about Greer, visit his Website www.peterkgreer.com.

[Callie · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the President and CEO of HOPE International, Peter Greer knows a lot about "doing good". But in his book, The Spiritual Danger of Doing Good (co-written with Anna Haggard), Greer talks about about the darker side of helping others. He is unflatteringly honest, sharing how his marriage was failing as he was busy leading an international Christian nonprofit.

Each chapter is about a different spiritual danger. He writes about the danger of giving your family leftovers while working overtime in ministry. Another chapter focuses on the importance of deep friendships and deliberately choosing friends to hold you accountable. Later he writes about the danger of trying to please everyone around you. Overall, Greer touches on many different dangers to be aware of while serving.

Greer included many anecdotes from his own life (including the time he was dragged by a gorilla!), but also from the lives of friends. At the end of each chapter, he provides reflection questions that would be especially helpful to someone currently serving in a ministry.

This book would be good for leaders and lay people alike. Personally, I didn't find it thrilling or find much new information. It seemed like a lot of practical, good advice. It certainly could be a reminder and a "check-up" on your heart and motives for serving, however, in my opinion, it isn't a "must read".

**I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Aisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read because Marvin Olasky recommended this book a few times last year in World magazine. Once and then again in the 2014 "best of" issue. This is not the book I thought it was. I thought this would deal with the political and social ramifications of the welfare state/mentality and moral and cultural damage done by the social programs in our country. While this wasn't an intellectual dissemination of the above, it was surprising and refreshing...and convicting. This book is about US. Why are we in ministry and what is our heart condition through it. I thought it was great for those who work in vocational missions or ministry, but what about me? He then deals with the sacred/secular argument, and each chapter has very reflective questions and is certainly convicting.

This is a very EASY read, and I think because of this it is universal to everyone, but first to those in vocational ministry, and then to anyone who serves and volunteers.

[Rp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have served as chaplain of music teams, soccer team, honors council, and currently serve as student body president. Needless to say, I am accustomed to being a do-gooder and feeling the pressure of a spotlight on me as a spiritual leader. This book was a refreshing wake up call about the importance of having real relationships with mentors and accountability friends to help me keep my heart pure as I serve in these roles. We are always encouraged to do good but it is important to be aware of what can happen when we slowly lose focus of why we are serving. I strongly recommend this book to any Christians in leadership. It strikes the balance of challenging and encouraging us through honest and personal stories of Peter's experiences serving in various ministries and at HOPE International.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a give away form Goodreads while I was reading something else. I opened it to look at it and read the jacket, and the other book was put aside for the next few days. The Spiritual Danger of Doing Good is an excellent book for both people involved in pastoral work (which I am not) and for the average lay person (which I am). I thought Peter Greer's thesis was very interesting, and his stories and research backed it up very well. At times I found myself feeling a bit of guilt when reading about the dangers that can trap you when you think you are being such a good person. At other times I felt a strong affirmation of my deeds as well as my feelings about them. Whether you are actively involved with helping others or whether you just need a little bit of encouragement to do more, I believe you will find this book to be enlightening and helpful.

[Annie Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doing good is good, right? Then why is it that only one in three biblical leaders finished well, without abusing power or harming themselves or others? And the numbers are worse today.

Leader of a Christian microfinance company, Peter Greer wrote this book to help those who serve, especially leaders, see the dangers that come with serving others. He wants to finish well and to help others do so, too.

I recommend this book highly. It helps to show us our sins and weaknesses and thus shows us how desperately we need our Saviour. It also helps us serve others wisely and well.

Read my complete review: http://anniekateshomeschoolreviews.co...

[Chris Chancey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down once I got started! The stories are so entertaining and make strong points about the slippery slopes to be avoided in serving others. As a recent seminary graduate, anyone responding to a calling to ministry should make this book an annual read and calibration point. It's challenging and inspirational. Greer & Haggard do an excellent job in clearly articulating such a complex topic. This book is the best gift you could give to any ministry leader that has influence in your life.

[Isaac Ezell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, much like Peter's first, is filled with stories of his direct experience as the president of a world class development network, HOPE International. In SDDG he details many of his own shortcomings in a writing style that has the technical clarity of his past writings while integrating the deeply emotional honesty of Bob Goff. This is a book of wisdom; not just knowledge. It is full of stories that illustrate lessons learned and should be read by anyone that is looking to learn how to live better.

[Sallyvail · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a must read for anyone serving in Christian ministry as it helps us to see the many traps all of us fall into along the way. Peter Greer is amazingly honest about his own spiritual journey as he has led a major Christian organization, but I was also touched as I realized how many of these same issues he wrestled with have applied to my own life serving in the local church. The scripture used is also very helpful and encouraging. I wold encourage all those going into ministry and in their daily spiritual journeys to read this book.