During my career in law enforcement, I often had to prove motive behind a suspect’s actions. There have been so many times in my own life that I set out to do a certain thing or accomplish a task thinking, “This is right, this is a good thing.” Only after it is finished and seems to have failed do I realize that my motives were selfish or self-serving.
We all want to look good in front of others and get compliments or applauded for our actions. It’s only natural. It’s not wrong to be given recognition for our efforts or our ministries, but if that is what we’re seeking, then our motives are wrong. When given a compliment, simply saying “thanks” does not take away glory from God. Your manner and demeanor in carrying out the task will bring him glory. Jesus did the things that the Father told him to do. Sometimes he was praised for it and other times he was ridiculed for it, but that never affected his resolve to accomplish the will of the Father.
So, if God examines our heart and our motives, doesn’t it stand to reason that we should take the time to do a self-examination? When you set out to do something, pray first and ask God to give you a pure heart and pure motives. It’s perfectly okay to receive compliments for a “job well done”. Do everything with honesty, integrity, and selflessly. God will give you all the reward you will ever need!
Proverbs 21:2 (NLT) - “People may be right in their own eyes, but the LORD examines their heart.”