And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. Matthew 6:5
It is human not only to desire acknowledgment but to feel it is necessary. We work hard, and it seems natural to expect not only the compensation that is due but to have others praise us for it. People are often unhappy in their jobs and personal lives because the labor, sacrifices, and extra time they bring to those relationships have not been recognized.
One reason people seek recognition is that it is a marker, at least emotionally, that they have been heard. We want to know that what we say, think, and feel matters to someone else. Some can take rejection of their ideas or contributions better than others. Few of us can easily take being ignored.
We also live in a culture that measures winning and losing at life on how many people pay attention to what, in God’s reality, is insignificant: how many likes did our Instagram photos get? What comments did our Facebook posts receive? How many people patted us on the back after that presentation at work? What people were nodding their heads as I added my pithy commentary in Sunday School?
Intellectually, we may be able to accept that what people say or think of us has no bearing on our worth. We may even understand that God values us even when others do not. But when the Pharisees and self-aggrandizing leaders of this world sweep glory into their own laps, it is difficult to not let the devil of thought enter, the lie that God only sees us when we fail.
Five times in the sixth chapter of Matthew’s gospel, we hear Jesus say. “they have received their reward.” We must remember that God hears us no matter how loud anyone else is.
Father of all love, who listens to broken and inarticulate hearts, thank You for hearing us. Give us the Holy Spirit today to comfort us when we feel alone and unheard, and to give us the vision of your heavenly reward. Amen.
