It is hard not to want to be recognized by others for your hard work. Even people you minister to one-to-one — it’s hard not to desire some form of appreciation for the time you spend with them. Yet our focus should be not on receiving praise from other people, but on serving God.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:1: “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.” I think this passage is telling us to check our motive for doing something. If we are only doing an act of service to “be noticed by them,” then our heart is in the wrong place. Our focus should be on serving God in His Spirit.
In Matthew 6:2-34 Jesus then proceeds to give guidance on how we should practice our faith with an orientation toward God. He tells us how to give to the poor; how to pray; how to forgive; how to fast; what treasures we should store up; to fill our eyes with light; to serve only God as master; and to not worry. He then tells us in verse 33: “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
The world is full of concerns, troubles and distractions. It can mislead us into seeking recognition from other people. It can motivate us to pursue things with the wrong intent. Even our prayers can be misguided. But Jesus tells us to put God first in all you do, then your heart will be focused on the right motivation. Your acts of service may not be recognized by others, but God sees all you do; and those you serve will also see your heart for God.
© 2021 CGThelen
140 Character Christian 
I had the thought today that I have the means to give more than I do to others who may be less fortunate than myself. Particularly charitable organisations like the one I work for, to support the work they do. But I wonder if that is just passing over what God is actually asking and taking the ‘easy way’ out in terms of truly embodying the serving of God?
Thank you for further encouragement to think on this, and to take action.
Peace to you.
When the Spirit of God guides my actions things seem to go better. May we continue to have a heart for God and seek His Kingdom. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Blessings.
Amen! Keeping our focus on our Lord brings us to the right mindset so that we can truly serve.
May we have the mind of Christ. Blessings.
Giving, by definition, means expecting NOTHING in return (not even “thanks”). How we respond when our deeds are ignored tells a lot about whether or not we were really giving.
May the Spirit of God motivate our actions. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Blessings.
I posted this message on my facebook page. A well thought out post.
Thanks for sharing it. Blessings.
Wonderful message.
Blessings.