When it comes to doing good deeds, the key lies deep within us.

The Inner Journey to Genuine Virtue

When it comes to doing good deeds, the key lies deep within us. It is precisely inner freedom, sincere will, and the readiness of the spirit to respond to the highest moral impulses that form the foundation of true nobility. In our pursuit of virtue, the most important aspect is the presence of free will, which allows us to consciously choose actions that emerge from the depths of our heart. This is not simply about meeting external demands, but about making a conscious, internally motivated choice that can nourish our soul with genuine light. The development of our inner world also plays a crucial role: gradual self-work, continuous self-improvement, and nurturing within ourselves a love for the highest values. Gradually training the soul enables us to reach a new level of spiritual existence, where good deeds become the result of a genuine willingness to change and a drive for harmony. In summary, true goodness is born within us, and only through the cultivation of our inner qualities can we make the world cleaner and brighter.

Are Special Conditions Necessary for Doing Good Deeds?

Based on the sources provided, it can be concluded that for performing good deeds, internal conditions are critically important rather than external circumstances. First and foremost, there is the requirement of inner readiness and the sincere disposition of the soul. As noted in one of the sources, a person “has the opportunity to abide in and excel in goodness” precisely because of possessing free will, which is not the cause of the deed itself but serves as the necessary condition for its choice (“Free will – an essential necessary condition for performing a moral deed in general…”, source: link txt). This means that the ability to do good acts comes from inner freedom and the readiness of a person to respond to the highest moral impulses.

In addition to free will, a sincere will emerging from the depths of the soul is also essential for carrying out virtuous acts. As emphasized in another statement, “if virtue originates from love for God and a conscious submission to His will, then such an act attains true goodness” (“…do your actions come from your heart or are they performed due to some external impulses…”, source: link txt). In other words, an act is truly good when it results from an inner, free, and sincere choice rather than from the mechanical execution of external rules.

Finally, another source points out that for the development of spiritual virtue it is necessary to gradually “prepare, train, exercise” one’s soul—a process during which a person learns to transform their internal states and gradually attain true godlikeness (“…one must gradually prepare, train, exercise one’s soul…”, source: link txt). This once again emphasizes that carrying out truly good deeds requires more than just favorable external circumstances—it demands inner effort, self-denial, and genuine love.

In conclusion, special external conditions are not the sole requirement; having inner freedom, a sincere desire for virtuous actions, and a readiness for constant spiritual improvement are far more important.

Supporting citation(s):
"Free will is an essential necessary condition for performing a moral deed in general. Without free will there are neither righteous nor sinful deeds. St. John Damascene states that the human being created by God ‘had the opportunity to abide in and excel in goodness as well as to turn away from goodness and end up in evil because of possessing free will’." (source: link txt)

"…Do your actions come from your heart or are they done based on some external impulses? Your consciousness cannot be mistaken in determining this. Then consider, is your mercy a natural inclination, or does it spring spontaneously from love for God and submission to His will?… For this to attain genuine goodness, you must sanctify your heartfelt compassion with love for God and submission to His will…" (source: link txt)

"…one must gradually prepare, train, exercise one’s soul. Then gradually we will move from the lesser to the greater and, little by little, we will transform from animals into human beings…" (source: link txt)