Everything that occurs in the course of NA service must be motivated by the desire to more successfully carry the message of recovery to the addict who still suffers.
Basic Text, p. xxvi
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Our motives are often a surprise to us. In our early days of recovery, they were almost always a surprise! Weve learned to check our motives through prayer, meditation, the steps, and talking to our sponsor or other addicts. When we find ourselves with an especially strong urge to do or have something, its particularly important to check our motives to find out what we really want.
In early recovery, many of us throw ourselves into service with great fervor before we have started the regular practice of motive-checking. It takes awhile before we become aware of the real reasons for our zeal. We may want to impress others, show off our talents, or be recognized and important. Now, these desires may not be harmful in another setting, expressed through another outlet. In NA service, however, they can do serious damage.
When we decide to serve NA, we make a decision to help addicts find and maintain recovery. We have to carefully check our motives in service, remembering that its much easier to frighten away using addicts than to convince them to stay. When we show them game-playing, manipulation, or pomposity, we present an unattractive picture of recovery. However, the unselfish desire to serve others creates an atmosphere that is attractive to the addict who still suffers.
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Just for today: I will check my motives for the true spirit of service.
This is an idealistic reading. In theory, service work should be motivated only by the desire to help other addicts stay clean. In reality, people often have other motivations. That's okay: we are not perfect. We can strive to have pure motives, but we may fall short. The important thing is that the work gets done. I'd rather have someone with mixed motives who does service work than someone with pure motives who does not work at all.
