I felt my blood boiling. The announcement over the school intercom praised a faculty member for a successful senior event the night before. Although this person was moderately involved in the event, I had the idea for the event, planned the essential details, arranged a meal, secured the facility, reached out to volunteers, and gained approval for everything in between.
I was flabbergasted and wondered where my accolades were. I found myself stuck inside my head and my pride. Some time passed, and I prayed fervent prayers. It wasn’t long before I realized that while words of affirmation aren’t sinful, pride certainly is.
The Bible instructs us on pride and warns against it repeatedly. It didn’t matter if I was praised. What mattered was that the students had a memorable senior event that was dear to my heart. I found my priorities misaligned.
I wondered how often God doesn’t get the credit He deserves simply because He is God and is sovereign. He deserves our praise for all His grace, the sacrifice of His son, and countless blessings. He deserves our praise even when things don’t go our way, or we face tragedy.
Often, we credit the wrong authority for our blessings. The world thanks everyone before God and frequently leaves Him out altogether. If the God of the universe is overlooked, how can I expect to be praised for everything I do? Who was I to find myself writhing in self-pity over a school announcement affirming someone else?
When we do things for the right reasons, to please God, or to make another person smile, we should not hope for acknowledgment. We should be unsung heroes in all we do. This is what pleases our Lord and Savior. Our motivations should never be self-glorifying. Nor should we hope for praise.
Do what you do for the glory of God and to the best of your ability. Pretend no one is watching.
Gretchen Martin is a teacher, blog author, and mom living in a small town in North Carolina with her husband and four daughters.