When No One Seems to Notice

Today, you might have started the day with a countless amount of tasks. You walk into the office with a load of questions from your co-workers. You’re the stay at home parent who will catch up on the laundry and the house cleaning. You will rearrange your schedule to help a friend. You will shuttle the kids from practice to lessons to home. You will make the fixes in the house while also making the time to listen to someone who needs to know someone else cares. People count on you.

At one point or another, we might face the question, “Does anyone notice or does anyone care?” We long for the simple thank you or just some type of recognition.

Mark records a fascinating conversation between Jesus and his disciples. James and John have asked if Jesus could allow them to sit at his right hand left hand in heaven. Often we focus on the verse of becoming great means becoming a servant (vs. 43-44). Last verse in the section makes this powerful statement about Jesus, “For the Son of Man did not come to be serve, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus pointed out the blind spot in the disciples and modeled to them what it means to serve. We can struggle to get noticed. We can crave the recognition. The unseen acts of service gives us a glimpse to our hearts.

The Gospel moves us from seeing ourselves to seeing others. Serving reveals our deepest attitudes and motivations. Those attitudes or motivations could include recognition, control, and resentment or rather grace, compassion, and mercy.

When Jesus invites us to serve others, he calls us to look like Him. Author, Dr. Bob Rhoden says this about serving in Four Faces of a Leader:

Servants are people who have trained themselves to ask a certain kind of question in every situation or encounter. It is not “What do I feel like doing (or saying)?” It is not “What’s the rule/policy/precedent on this?” It is not “How much is this going to cost?”

It is rather this kind of question: “What does he/she need? What’s the gap to be filled here?” As we focus outward rather than inward, we position ourselves to render the most helpful service of all, in Jesus’ name. (pg. 81)

What if today instead of lamenting the fact that no one notices our service, we thanked God for the opportunity? What if we began to see others as Jesus did? Attempting to meet their needs so that they might experience the presence of Jesus. Serving might be the invitation for you to see the Gospel at work in your heart.

Serving can make us acutely aware of others who serve without any recognition. Take the time to say, “thank you” and look to see God’s grace in their lives.

How can you serve in grace today? Who can you say thank you to?

Photo Credit Ryan McGuire on Gratisography.