“Well done.”“Great job.”
“Wow. Impressive.”
We like praise. We love praise. We crave praise.
It started as children when even the worse drawing with a blunt crayon was hung on the refrigerator. Proudly beaming for days, we sulked when it finally had to come down. Something inside of us wants our efforts to be applauded.
"Look at me!"
Although we might coyly wave off words of admiration, we sneak a smile in when we are alone. Our inner human is stroked by the scratch of praise. It feels good to know that our efforts haven’t gone unnoticed, that our duty actually isn’t performed in a vacuum.
"He finally noticed!"
Admittedly, the words of others affirm us. They measure our worth. They justify our value. They reinforce our sense of importance. Without these words, without any external appreciation of our contributions, some of us may wither or worse, finally rebel against our superiors.
"I keep giving and giving and no one seems to notice."
But ask yourself this: Just how important is that validation? Is appreciation a prerequisite for giving your all? Or are we called to higher standard, performing to full capacity despite who notices.
Here are some tough questions.
Could you work an entire career without ever being recognized?
Can you live in an affirming relationship that is not reciprocal?
Is it possible to always give and never expect thanks?
Your thoughts here.
(please, please tell me how great this post is!!!!....uh, never mind :) )
“…for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.” John 12:43
1 comments so far - add yours here:
Could I do these things? Not a chance. None of them (though I'd come closest to the third one).
In Christ, however, I need never concern myself with the question, "What if someday I have to ..." I can do all He asks me to do, because He will ask nothing of me for which He will not provide and empower.
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