When Ghana Black Stars’ were about to return home from the 2026 FIFA World Cup following their elimination by Colombia, goalkeeper Benjamin Asare was among the players most Ghanaians admired. Ghana had made it beyond the group stage before losing 1 – 0 to Colombia in the Round of 32.
Amid the euphoria surrounding the team’s anticipated return, a lady, definitely an ardent fan of Asare and his impressive performance, approached Asare publicly at Kansas City and gave him some money, after having a snappy conversation with the national team’s shot stopper.
As I watched netizens express their concerns about the young lady’s gesture, I was taken aback by some of the people’s stances. Notable among the commentators was Bongo Ideas. He, in particular, criticised the lady’s action as uncalled for, calling it a publicity stunt. Others disagreed, asserting that it was a simple kind gesture as a way of appreciation, encouragement, and genuine admiration for what Asare had done for Ghana.
Many others ascribed her modus operandi as ‘settings’. They questioned whether the lady could have done the same if Jordan Ayew, Partey, Semenyo, or any of the players based in Europe were the one involved in the encounter. Still reading people’s thoughts pertaining to the issue, I confronted a question I would rather avoid: When I give, how much of the gift is actually about the person receiving it and how much of it is about me?
Upon critical thinking, I deduced that the lady might have done this with genuine intentions. However, her approach might have sent the wrong narrative. Immediately, Jesus’ teaching about giving in secret came to mind, not as a command that every good deed must be hidden, but as a challenge to the ego that needs an audience. Jesus warned against practising righteousness merely to be seen and teaches giving without turning generosity into a performance.
Still pondering the situation, I learned that an action can be good while my motive is mixed. This is where goodwill becomes psychologically difficult. Human beings are remarkably complicated. We can genuinely want someone to succeed and simultaneously enjoy being the person who helped them. We can wholeheartedly give or support others and still want them to remember that we were there when nobody else was.
Don’t get me wrong. These are intrinsic tendencies. The problem, however, begins when we allow the desire for praise, power, influence, gratitude, or control to govern our generosity. Well, we may never tell people directly that they owe us, but sometimes, our behaviour can communicate it.
I have always maintained that if all you care about is how to buy a car, get a roof over your head and cater for yourself, then, you don’t necessarily need to live up to 70 years. Why? I strongly believe that longevity is for influencing other people’s lives positively. Greatness is not about the number of feats one has attained in life, rather, it is measured by the number of lives one has impacted.
The questions I’d like us to carry with us throughout this month is this : When we give, are we trying to bless someone or are we quietly trying to buy something from them? Are we doing good deeds or are we striking good deals indirectly? Are we being kind because we are good or our supposed kindness is a manipulative strategy? When I look inward, I realise that I do not need to become perfectly selfless before I start doing good. Instead, I need to become increasingly honest with myself.
I keep returning to the reason Daily Grace chose Goodwill as this month’s theme. Goodwill is bigger than generosity. It is an orientation toward the well being of others. It asks us to be the kind of people who leave others, places and situations better than they found them.
Ready to turn goodwill into action?
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