GOD DOES!
By
Dr. Dwight D. Garrett

Colossians 3:23-24
And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

How many times do you find yourself feeling “taken advantage of” by your spouse, family, friends, people in general, or even your employer?  I would not hesitate to guess that almost everyone has felt like that at some point or another.  We, sometimes feel, under appreciated, unappreciated, overlooked, overworked, underpaid, neglected or even totally forgotten in our daily lives, and in the workplace.  All of these senses are breeding grounds for frustration, and can turn us sour, bitter, and resentful.

Sometimes we don’t channel these senses in the right direction and we often times find ourselves complaining, and nursing a “bad attitude” toward the people that are closest to us at any given time.  Sometimes it may be a coworker, a friend, a family member, and sometimes we even turn our “bad attitude” in the direction of God.  We can even find ourselves not even wanting to get out of bed in the mornings---after-all, if we are feeling neglected, unappreciated, or taken advantage of---why even bother to face the day?  This is especially true when it comes to facing a seemingly ungrateful boss at work.  We can become caught up in the mindset of, “Why should we bother trying to please the ungrateful people we work for?”.

However, Paul tells us that we, as believers answer to a higher authority.  We, as believers, are called to a different standard as those who are without Christ in their lives.  Like the opening text tells us, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” 

This tells us that when we become centered and focused on not feeling appreciated, it is time for an “attitude adjustment”.  We need to be mindful of the fact, that as Christians, everything we do in life, we do as an act of service to our Lord.  In the end, it is He Who will reward us for our efforts, and for our time well served.  In addition, when the world notices our attitudes, and senses of feeling lowly and not appreciated, we are not setting an example of the love of God, and we are not letting the “love light” of God shine through in our everyday walk of faith. Ephesians 5:8 tells us, “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:”

We are not to fall victim to the world and all of the inconsistencies found within the hearts and minds of men.  Our ultimate authority is God and what we do in the eyes of men does not matter, and what others think of us is irrelevant.  Instead it is what God sees in us that matters the most, and should be the motivation behind our every moment.

Others may not see our true potential, but God does.  Others may not find our worth valuable, but God does.  Others may judge us in error, and may find fault in everything we do, and they may not appreciate our efforts, but God does. 

We are not on this earth to serve men, we are here to do service for God, whether we realize it or not.  And as long as we are doing the best we can at whatever we do, and as long as we are pleasing God in our lives, that is all that really matters.  We may be driving a truck, or washing dishes in a restaurant, or selling cars, or filing papers, or answering telephones, or we may be stay at home moms or dads, or we may even be retired, or working in a high level position in a high end job somewhere, and as long as we are doing the best we can at what we do, and as long as we are doing it in service to the Lord, it matters not what others think of us, but instead it is what God sees in us that matters the most.

It isn’t a matter of whether or not we are appreciated by others around us, instead it is a matter of;

• How is our Christian attitude? 
• Are we following Biblical directives in what we do?
• Are we putting forth our best efforts? 
• Are we living up to the standards of our Lord and Saviour, with all of our hearts?
• Are we allowing God to lead us, direct us, and guide us everyday of our lives? 

We need to always remember that it is God Who we are to be pleasing, honoring and working for.  So when we are tempted to feel harshness towards those around us who do not seem to appreciate our efforts in life, we need to feel love toward them instead, and we should pray for them, and rid our minds of “self worthlessness”.  Others may not appreciate us, and may not see our true worth, and others may not find compassion for us like we would hope they would, but:

 “God Does”

1 Peter 2:13-23
13: Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
14: Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.
15: For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
16: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
17: Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
18: Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.
19: For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
20: For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
21: For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
22: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
23: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: