7 “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? 8 Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that, you may eat and drink’? 9 Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”
Luke 17:7-10

This is where it gets hard. This is where our flesh tends to creep in. We have worked so hard serving others and not one thank you. Either no one noticed or no one cares. If we are not careful we can quickly become bitter. When we set our expectations on how the people around us are going to respond to our acts of servanthood then our heart is in the wrong place. This is especially hard when we have spent so much time giving of ourselves and there is no earthly return. How can we get to the place that serving others is truly just about serving and not about the hope of accolades? Prayer. Worship. A strong foundation in Christ. Remembering who we are serving and why. We need to constantly remind ourselves that Jesus came to this Earth to save us, and we killed him in the most inhumane and brutal way. Who are we to think that we deserve some high honor for bringing food to the church potluck when Jesus gave his life for a race that half the time isn’t grateful? So many tasks that we do on a daily basis often times seem meaningless. It is important to remember that if these works are for Christ then they are definitely not insignificant. Although we are weary and tired here on Earth, and we are unsure if what we are doing even matters, we do have a reward in Heaven. 2 Chronicles 15:7 states, “But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.” So keep going, guys! Keep on keepin’ on because no matter how tired, how overworked you are, there is a huge reward in Heaven. And even if you do not hear one thank you here on Earth, I know Jesus is thanking you. I know He is proud of you. I know that he would be working right by your side. Let’s get to the point where serving others is just that. No strings attached, no expectations, just love.

Dear God, help me today to serve with no expectations. No disappointment allowed.
Just help me remember that I am serving you, and my reward is waiting for me in Heaven. Help me to remember to keep on going because whether I believe it or not – me serving is making a difference. Amen.