Dutiful Humility

“Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’?  Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 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.’” Luke 17:7-10

I love to be recognized for a job well done. Encouraging words are at the top of my list when it comes to being loved. I remember many times when someone has given me affirmation related to doing my duty and that which is expected of me. It is uncomfortable at times to receive praise because I’m unsure how to respond in a humble way, yet my inner man is filled when recognized by others. If I’m transparent, there are plenty of times where I wait for and expect praise simply for doing my job.

How a man handles responsibility is an important consideration. All of us, from a young age on, are given responsibility. What those responsibilities are is not what defines a man, it is how the responsibility is stewarded and the expectation that follows. We live in a culture that encourages pride to such a great extent that we come to expect praise for simply doing what we are responsible for doing. I would be the first one to admit the ease of being overcome by this mindset. The truth is all men have a duty, and we are responsible for fulfilling that which God has set out for us to do. Do your job. Be satisfied with a job well done and content knowing you did what you ought to do. If thanked or praised, accept it but don’t expect it. Be dutifully humble.

DO THIS TODAY: Stop expecting praise and start freely giving it out.