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So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. 1 Corinthians 15:58
If you have ever had a puppy that you were training, you know the value of ‘treats’. Your dog will most likely do anything if a treat is involved!
The same is true for children. Teachers and parents alike will tell you that something as simple as a sticker will elicit proper responses to your requests.
We never really outgrow the need for recognition. Employers know the value of recognizing those who work for them, and their customers. Recognition, in its various forms instills value. Recognition builds a fire in those recognized to excel. Recognition gives us a feeling of belonging. Recognition boosts morale.
The opposite is also true. When we don’t get recognition for our efforts discouragement, frustration and the lack of desire to excel can happen. Lack of recognition is a real morale killer in the workplace, the family and any other relationship.
It’s easy to feel like nothing you do is making a difference when it seems no one is noticing. You may feel like people aren’t responding to your message. The work you do today needs to be redone tomorrow. With all the time and effort you put into a project, it seems like no one notices.
Always remember this. God sees you. He sees your efforts. He feels your intentions. He comforts you in your defeats and high fives you in the victories. Press on. Do what he leads you to do. Don’t be discouraged by the response you get from people, be encouraged by the one who has gifted you to do what you do.
When Paul writes this verse in 1 Corinthians, he isn’t about ministry, or service organizations. Elsewhere Paul writes, ‘do everything for the glory of the Lord’. He makes no distinction between washing dishes and laundry and saving someone’s life. The importance of what you are doing isn’t dependent on the recognition of fickle humans God has gifted you for excellence. Stay strong. Press on. Endure the struggle and celebrate the victories when/if they come.
Always remember. God sees you and appreciates you.
I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 1 Corinthians 1:4
Two of the most powerful words in language are ‘Thank You’. You learned it as a kid. Always say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. That’s the way life works. Sometimes it’s easy to say thank you. When someone opens a door for you, lets you in to traffic, offers you a cold drink on a hot day, ‘thank you’s’ are in order.
But what about those other times. Do you say thank you to the rude store clerk. Do you say thank you to the person who cuts you off in traffic? Do you say thank you to the person who, once again, is critical of you or how you do your job? ‘Of course not’ you say, right?
But Jesus would. So would the Apostle Paul. Paul wrote a very difficult letter to one of the churches he planted. The church in the city of Corinth started strong in grace, mercy, love and generosity. But sin and conflict broke out and in concern for his spiritual children, Paul was forced to write a letter to this group of struggling ‘Christ followers.’
It’s interesting that at the very beginning of this difficult letter, Paul expresses his appreciation for them. He didn’t appreciate them because they were people of character. He didn’t appreciate them for the way they held to God’s word. He didn’t appreciate them because of their high moral standards. Those things weren’t praiseworthy to First Church – Corinth.
Yet Paul appreciated them because of the grace they found in Jesus. There will always be people who annoy us. There will always be people who ridicule us or don’t meet our expectations. There will never be people who are outside of the reach of God’s grace. Appreciation of others doesn’t mean we agree with them, it simply means we value them because Jesus values them.
Who do you need to show value to today? Showing appreciation to others is a great way to show the grace Jesus offers everyone.
Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?”” Luke 17:17-18
One day, as Jesus was near the border of Samaria, ten men with leprosy called out to him and asked for healing. We read the story in Luke’s gospel, chapter 17. Jesus told them to go show the priests they were healed. Lepers were not allowed into society without this blessing.
From what we can determine, the men were healed as they left for the temple. Only one of them, a hated Samaritan, returned to Jesus to thank him for being healed. Only one practiced Active Appreciation.
Active Appreciation is part of worship. We don’t know if the other men suddenly got leprosy again, but we do know that this hated Samaritan, the one who showed Active Appreciation, not only received his physical health, but his spiritual health as well.
Active Appreciation is powerful. When King Jehoshaphat was going into battle and the nation of Israel was in trouble, he went before God and prayed. God promised deliverance but instructed the king to have singers go ahead of the army singing praises for God’s power and deliverance.
Their Active Appreciation proved powerful! “At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves.” 2 Chronicles 20:22
Active Appreciation changes our focus. When we begin with praise to God we are turning our minds towards the Father’s power and promises and away from the enemies of fear, doubt, anger and worry. Like the old adage says, “Big problems, Small God; Big God, Small problems.”
Active Appreciation begins with God. When we learn to appreciate God because of his undeserved, unconditional love and it spreads to others because when we learn to appreciate God we see others differently. Not because of their actions, but because we see them as God’s creation, just as we are. Our appreciation isn’t based on others, it’s based on God.
Who can you practice Active Appreciation on? Begin with your Heavenly Father, then turn your Active Appreciation towards his creation, the people you rub shoulders with every day. It can be as simple as opening a door for someone, or saying thank you. It can be praying with and/or for someone you don’t even know.
Active Appreciation is, well ACTIVE! The more you learn to appreciate the Father, the more you will be able to appreciate others. Live in Active Appreciation.
You don’t gain anything by being punished for some wrong you have done. But God will bless you, if you have to suffer for doing something good. 1 Peter 2:20 (CEV)
Usually when I’ve read this verse I’ve focused on the words ‘punished’ and ‘doing good’ with the idea of persecution for following Jesus, or for being honest when dishonesty would be the ‘norm’ or completely understandable.
Punishment for doing good isn’t always the physically abusive kind of punishment though and it’s not always administered by those intent on hurting us. Sometimes the suffering we endure comes at the hands of unknowing and, if we were honest, unintentional attacks. These are the attacks that don’t leave bruises or scars on the outside, but wreak havoc on the inside.
Random acts of kindness are often lauded as being some super-heroic gesture that brings us lots of joy and fulfillment. But when our acts of kindness and consideration are unnoticed it hurts. The legalist will tell you to suck it up. To look for recognition is nothing more than sinful pride. But I don’t buy that completely. While it’s true that the ‘Christ-like’ things we do should be done regardless of whether they are recognized or not, that doesn’t mean that that it’s some great heinous sin to expect that we get thanked for what we do.
One day Jesus was walking along a path and came upon ten lepers. He told them to go to the priests and show themselves to the priests. As they went they were cleansed of their leprosy! Only one of the ten returned to say thank you and that person was a much hated Samaritan. Jesus response was a very human one. He looked for the other nine!
“Wait a minute…Didn’t I heal ten men? And even though I delivered them from this deadly, stinking, socially repulsive sin, the only one who thought to say thank you was this foreigner? Where are my friends? Where are the ones who should have been first in line, my countrymen?”
It’s been over 2,000 years since that story and nothing has really changed in our human nature. Those who are closest to us are usually the ones that notice our kind actions the least. It’s often strangers that say thank you more often than our spouses, children or closest friends and that hurts!
Two lessons come to mind when I re-read this story. First of all, I want to make sure that I am appreciative of all the things, large and small that people do for me. My prayer is that no act of kindness will go unappreciated.
Secondly, from all appearances, the other nine were healed. Even though they weren’t thankful, Jesus knew that his true reward would come from his Father. The same is true for me. The kind things we do may go unnoticed on earth, but they are never forgotten in heaven.
PRAYER: Father God. There are so many times when the things I’ve done have gone unnoticed. People seem to notice my failures much more than my kindness. Empowered by your Spirit, I resolve to make sure those who are kind are recognized by me. I praise you for remembering even my most insignificant act of kindness to those around me. In Jesus name, Amen.
I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Revelation 3:11
Few of us will ever experience the excitement of winning a gold medal in the Olympics or having a Super Bowl ring of our very own. For most of us, our recognitions come on a far smaller scale. We were hall monitor in fifth grade once. We received a blue ribbon at the county fair for having the cutest puppy. But for a vast majority of us, that’s about it in the rewards department.
To this day, somewhere in the boxes in the attic there’s a crumpled up ribbon or a tattered certificate acknowledging the fact that we were hall monitor. And of course there’s the picture of the puppy that you have long ago forgotten the name of! Nothing more now than memories. Someday, when you are gone, those who come after you may hold on to these trinkets for short time, but eventually they’ll be part of some landfill somewhere.
Tucked away in the corner of your mind there may be other things you did. Things that to you anyway, seemed like quite an accomplishment, but went unrewarded, even unnoticed. You put his/her clothes in the hamper again…this time without mentioning it. You started the car early this morning so she wouldn’t have to get into a cold car. Ever noticed how many times you’ve given the kids a ride without so much as a thank-you?
We all feel unappreciated at times. We can feel like we do all this…stuff for people and it goes completely unnoticed. It doesn’t. There’s one who sees every act of kindness. One who applauds your every act of kindness and knows the motives behind your actions. Someday, you will be rewarded for all the things you did. The things you thought went unnoticed.
Jesus says, persevere. Keep going. Keep doing the things you do for the good of those around you. The medals and ribbons and accolades and trophies of today will soon fade away. But the rewards he has for you will last for eternity.
Looking for rewards here on earth can lead to anger, resentment and disappointment. It can rob us of our feelings of self worth, steal our confidence, and put a strain on our relationships at home and work and with our friends. That’s when the joy of our relationship with Jesus is buried in a pile of hurt feelings and despair.
Remember to do the things you do for Jesus. Whether it be picking up the dirty socks, or the unappreciative teenager. Even if it’s yielding the right of way at a four-way stop when it’s obviously your turn. Let all the things you do be done for Jesus. He never misses a thing you do and someday you will be rewarded! And this time, the reward will last for eternity!
PRAYER: Father God, there are so many times when I do things for others and feel completely forgotten. I feel like I have gifts, talents and abilities that can benefit others, but no one sees them or appreciates them. I’ve even given up on doing things for others and given up on myself. I ask that you would empower me to do the things I do for you, knowing that you see and appreciate every one of them. In your name I pray, Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 