Devotionals

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Some minds are like concrete -- thoroughly mixed up and
permanently set.

How important are you? How important do you need to be? Some
folks have a deep-seated need to be important, to be special, to
need recognition. That's one reason athletes are motivated to
achieve -- they want recognition. Have you watched a football
player strut his stuff in celebration after a particularly good play?
They are saying, "Did you see that? Did you notice what I did?"

Recognition is a motivator for all sorts of things, and that isn't all
bad, but I'm not sure it is the correct motivation for serving Jesus
Christ. In these days of glitz in modern Christian presentation, it
does seem like humility is a lost virtue. When I say that, you must
remember that I came from a Brethren/Mennonite tradition where
service out of simple love for God was all the motivation needed.

Recognition and acceptance are similar but different in degree.
Recognition involves pride but acceptance means you are needed,
wanted and appreciated. We all need that -- we need to feel
needed, but we shouldn't have a need to feel cocky.

Proverbs 29:23 (nlt), "Pride ends in humiliation, while humility
brings honor." Always remember that. Serve God for Jesus' sake
-- not ours.

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