Devotionals for the Heart: Why we shouldn't do things to expect praise

Do Things Without Expecting Praise
A devotional by Heidy De La Cruz

“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.”—Galatians 1:10 (NIV)

Upon Waking is a 60-day devotional by Jackie Hill Perry that I’ve already gone through twice this year. That’s how good it is. Today, I want to speak about Day 17 of the devotional, where Perry writes about not doing things expecting to receive praise.

First, she shares the Bible story about Jesus Christ changing water to wine at a wedding (John 2:1-11). She talks about how the master of the wedding feast praised the bridegroom for the excellent wine, but it is Jesus who deserves the credit. Jesus doesn’t correct them. He lets them enjoy their wine and the party without demanding praise.

Perry then writes, “When is the last time you did good without expecting, hoping, or suggesting it be noticed? When you gave, served, prayed, fasted, studied, rejoiced, taught, died to, wiped, cooked, cleaned, labored for, organized, plucked out, cut8 out, built up anything, did you expect a parade? When it didn’t come, how did it leave you? Bitter? Discouraged? Both, maybe?”

Friends, I am here to remind you that we should not do things with the expectation of receiving praise afterwards. We should not serve with the intention of getting credit or praise afterwards because that defeats the purpose of Christ’s desire for us to be a servant of others. If we are doing things to receive praise, we are doing it with the wrong intentions. These aren’t pure intentions, and God knows when this happens because He knows us from the inside out. God knows our hearts.

If you do things with the hope of praise afterwards, ask yourself why. Do some self-reflection to understand why you feel the need to receive praise after doing something for others.

Jesus gives us instructions in Matthew 6:1-4 (NIV) about serving others. He said, “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Perry ends the devotional by reminding us of this command from Jesus. She writes, “Beloved, Jesus commands us to do as He does. Turn the water to wine, let them drink, watch them rejoice in it, and if they leave your name out of their song, that’s okay. There’s a better praise awaiting you.”

I’m not sure about you, but I’d rather get my praise from God than other humans because God’s praise is worth more than human praise. Will you join me in prayer?

Let’s Pray:

Father God,

If I ever do things expecting to receive praises from others, please help heal my heart and remind me that this isn’t the intention you want me to serve others. Lord, please let me be more like Jesus daily and serve others with no expectations in return. Although it is hard because human nature wants to be praised, we must die to our human desires and want your will for our lives, Lord. Thank You for the examples You have provided us, Lord, and may I always follow your lead.

In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray.

Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Every Praise” by Hezekiah Walker. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Heidy De La Cruz is a published writer/author and podcaster. She writes the weekly newsletter “Into My Thoughts” on Substack where she shares personal development content, life experiences with life lessons, and faith-based encouragement posts. 

Heidy is the host of “The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast” where immigrants share their stories about moving to the United States. She is also a podcast coach and helps those who desire to host their own show launch.

Heidy holds a master’s degree in healthcare administration and a bachelor's degree in Psychology. She works as a Medical Coding Analyst.

In her free time, she enjoys reading, listening to podcasts, watching movies, and spending time with her husband and their two kids.

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Connect with Heidy:
Website: https://heidydelacruz.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heidy.delacruz13/