Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  – Philippians 2:3

Booker T. Washington, the renowned black educator, was an outstanding example of humility. Shortly after he took over the presidency of the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, he was walking in an exclusive section of town when he was stopped by a wealthy white woman. Not knowing the famous Mr. Washington by sight, she asked if he would like to earn a few dollars by chopping wood for her. Because he had no pressing business at the moment, Professor Washington smiled, rolled up his sleeves, and proceeded to do the humble chore she had requested. When he was finished, he carried the logs into the house and stacked them by the fireplace. A little girl recognized him and later revealed his identity to the lady. The next morning the embarrassed woman went to see Mr. Washington in his office at the Institute and apologized profusely. “It’s perfectly all right, Madam,” he replied. “Occasionally I enjoy a little manual labor. Besides, it’s always a delight to do something for a friend.” She shook his hand warmly and assured him that his meek and gracious attitude had endeared him and his work to her heart. Not long afterward she showed her admiration by persuading some wealthy acquaintances to join her in donating thousands of dollars to the Tuskegee Institute.

How easily we become offended. There are some times when an adversary will try to intentionally hurt our feelings, but the overwhelming majority of the hurts we endure in this life are purely accidental. You may become offended when someone doesn’t seem thankful enough for something you’ve done on their behalf. You may get your feelings hurt when the hard work you’ve done goes unrecognized. You may get angry because someone’s off-handed comment really got under your skin. Very few people actually set out with the intention of hurting another’s feelings, but our reactions to these perceived slights reveals a lot about our attitudes.

Why did you do that nice thing for your neighbor? Why did you put in all that hard work? Was it for thanks, or recognition, or reward? The Christian’s calling is to serve. Regardless of who notices or approves, we know that God sees the good that we do and that our true reward is waiting for us in eternity. As individuals and as a church, we are called to give with no thought toward receiving… we are to work with no thought toward reward… we are to serve with no thought toward recognition. When your heart is in the right place, you can have assurance that the approval of our Heavenly Father is more than enough.