Introduction

·        Illustration: Humorous story about a little boy who thinks his mom is hired to work for him and his dad.

·        We all want to be appreciated.

·        Illustration: A boy and his father stop for a soda and can’t understand a word of the guttural-voiced clerk—except when he tells them the price of the soda.

·        Sometimes the only thing that comes through loud and clear to us from others is their demands, requests, and complaints.

We need to remind ourselves of why we serve others.

·        Because Jesus paid for our sins, we can serve God, not out of fear of punishment, but out of gratitude and love.

·        Illustration: Humorous story about a forgetful old farmer who can’t remember things, including his wife’s name.

·        We should live our Christian lives with a “grace mindset,” not a “law mindset.”

      -     Philippians 5:1

·        We need to remember Jesus’ underappreciated gift of salvation to us.

We need to examine the focus of our work.

·        Perhaps we need to focus on what is the best thing to do and not on what the good things are that we could do.

      -     Philippians 1:10

·        We have to decide what the best way is to use each gift that God has given us.

·        Illustration: A father unwisely finances a car for his rebellious son, and the son is killed while driving drunk.

·        Things that seem good can be the enemy of what is really the best.

·        Sometimes feeling underappreciated comes from choosing what is fine or OK, but not choosing what is best.

We need to express our appreciation to others for the things they do for us.

·        In Paul’s letters to the early church, he always took time to thank God for all that the congregations did for him.

·        Illustration: If neighbors see you picking up litter in the neighborhood rather than complaining about it, there’s a better chance that everyone will help keep the street clean.

·        Illustration: An old man tells travelers that places are usually as good or as bad as they anticipate them being.

·        We’ll change people more by modeling right behavior than by complaining that they do not appreciate us enough.

We need to remember that we serve God and seek only his approval.

·        For Martha, it was not that she had too much work to do, but that she allowed her work to pull her away from what was really important.

·        In our busyness, we can ignore God.

·        Illustration: Tom Landry commented on his successful coaching career: “In 1958, I did something everyone who has been successful must do. I determined my priorities in my life: God, family, and then football.”

Conclusion

·        The key is to have right priorities in life.

·        Big Idea: When we feel underappreciated, we need to remember that God is watching and will reward us for our efforts.

·        Galatians 6:9