When You Feel UnappreciatedНамуна

YOUR VERY BEST

We’ve all felt it. When you’ve worked very hard, done your best, gone the extra mile, and still not gotten the thanks you deserve -- it hurts! Sometimes, it makes you feel like quitting.

We all want to be appreciated, whether by our boss or our loved ones, at church, by our peers, or by someone we have tried to help.

But just for a moment here, I want to share something with you that God has shown me repeatedly when I’ve felt unappreciated or like someone is taking advantage of me. If you’re feeling unappreciated today, this may help you.

Two verses in Colossians chapter 3 help clear up the appreciation issue. Verse 17 says, “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Verse 23 says, “Whatever you do, do it heartily as unto the Lord, and not to men.”

Read that again! It’s easy to read those verses and say, “Oh yes, amen.” But it takes spiritual guts to look at them and ask ourselves some tough questions.

Am I doing everything as if it were for God? Do I work at my job as if God were my boss? Do I help at church to please and obey God, or to be seen and appreciated by people? Do I go the extra mile at home for my loved ones, even if they don’t thank me, because I’m doing it as unto the Lord?

And here’s the hardest question: do I do my best, even when no one is looking? Because the truth is, God is always looking. This is the best way to check ourselves: “Am I doing my very best for God even if no one else ever sees, understands, or thanks me?”

These questions may sound tough, but it’s truly the way to peace and freedom.