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Program D-7809
There’s no question that all of us need to be recognized and rewarded for good and faithful service. The Bible has lots to say about rewards and recognition. However, we who are Christ-followers need to be focused on eternal rewards and recognition. If we work strictly for people’s recognition and reward, let me share what it could do to us.
First, when we don’t get the recognition we think we deserve, it can easily cause us to give up and just get by without giving our best effort. Lots of employees have that kind of attitude toward their jobs. Since no one ever seems to appreciate them, they just get along by doing the minimum they have to do. And they don’t bother to go the extra mile or try to work with excellence.
On the other hand, some people need recognition so badly that they work all the harder, killing themselves trying to get someone to say, “You’re doing a good job.” Consequently, they are easily burned out and highly frustrated to discover that the extra work doesn’t always bring the recognition they want.
Do you want to have your work recognized in order to get a promotion, more money, or prestige? Perhaps it’s greed, materialism, or a desire for power that is causing you to work so hard for earthly recognition and reward.
As Christians in the marketplace, we have to check up on our motives. Colossians 3:23-24 tells us that our upper level manager is Jesus Christ. If he is the one whose approval we seek, we will be motivated by our deep desire to please God, and our driving ambition will be to hear him say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
What a difference it makes when we understand that people’s rewards and recognition are nice, but they are not essential. Yes, I’m a strong believer that managers and organizations should do a good job of recognizing and rewarding their employees. It’s the right thing to do and it makes for better employees. But this doesn’t always happen. What a freedom it is to know that God is going to reward us for work well done. This assurance frees us from the need for earthly recognition and reward!
