Please hold the applause
I just attended an event where people were recognized for their achievements. The leader of the event asked the audience to please hold their applause until the end. The natural tendency is to applaud each person for their achievements, but on this occasion the request was for people to hold their applause. We are groomed early on to desire applause. If a baby takes a few steps, we celebrate their achievement. When children do well in school or with sports we celebrate their achievements. We groom people for applause. But have we gone too far in celebrating people for what they are suppose to do.
I never would have asked my parents what they were going to give me for washing the dishes or cleaning the house or folding laundry. There was no applause expected because they clearly communicated that the chores were my responsibility. I would not be celebrated for doing what I was expected to do.
In Luke 17:7-10, Jesus shares a story about a service. The focus of the story is service without strings attached. The servant does his normal days work in the field and then comes inside and continues to do work serving his master. Jesus says the servant will not receive applause or thanks for doing what he is suppose to do.
We are God's servants. That means that he tells us what to do and we do it. It is our duty to obey our master. It is our privilege to serve our master. We learn elsewhere in scripture that service is honored, but service should be rendered without expectation of reward or applause.
Would you do what you do for God, if there was no applause? If no one around you recognized or celebrated your contributions to the Kingdom, would you still serve God?
Created over 1 year ago
