Luke 17:10 - So you also, when you
have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have
only done what was our duty.’
So
much of American life these days is a pursuit for recognition. Scroll through
your Facebook feed sometime and count the ratio of posts that scream, “Notice
me!” Isn't that really what a selfie is all about? Some people who take selfies
to keep them for future personal reference, but most of the time we take those
pictures with the intent of posting them on social media so other people can
see them. The drive to be recognized goes far beyond social media, though.
Think of the thousands who show up for American Idol auditions and the hundreds
of wannabe artists, musicians, and actors doing whatever it takes to get
noticed.
The
hunger for recognition even extends to personal relationships. When we do something
for a friend or a spouse, we want them to notice. We want them to be impressed.
It is hard not to place our value as an individual on the accolades we receive
from others. I have spent many hours counseling couples in which one or the
other in the couple was in deep pain because of a lack of regular verbal
appreciation from their spouse. It hurts
when others don’t notice. Far too often suicide is one last, loud attempt to
yell, “Notice me!” Yet, this is not the way to live. With everyone else pursuing
their own recognition, they will have little time or energy to give others much
of the attention they crave.
Once
again, Jesus turns our world upside down. Even in his day people begged for
appreciation. Instead, Jesus called his followers to a radical attitude change:
Do what you do not for recognition from people but because it is what you are
supposed to do. On the one hand, this seems counter-intuitive. If we do not
pursue recognition, how can we ever receive it? If we do not receive
recognition, how can we ever find fulfillment? They key is the radical,
paradoxical others-focused life that Jesus calls us to. The servant in this
story serves his master without needing recognition. He gives his attention to
another. He gives recognition to another, and in doing so he finds fulfillment
in living his life’s purpose.
You
and I can do the same. Rather than a selfish, often futile, effort to have
others recognize us, let’s honor them and find the real joy that comes from getting
the focus off of ourselves.
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