You help out at an event at church. You work hard serving, and in the end, you’re given a pat on the back and a thanks. Next week you show up at church and several people who served are recognized from the pulpit, but not you. Up until this point you were so glad that you were able to serve, but those happy feelings are gone. You worked just as hard as those other people, but no one will ever know. Was that work even worth it?

I’m sure you have experienced that scenario in one way or another. It’s tough to not be recognized. If you’re like me, you want to feel appreciated. You want to know people care that you’re doing something good. Yet often we get overlooked or underappreciated. I have to admit, I often feel… invisible.

How do we deal with feeling invisible? How do we respond to our feelings in a godly way? I’d like to share a few tips on how to respond to invisibility:

1: Check your heart attitude. Matthew 6:2 “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.” Why did you serve? I often find myself starting out with a godly attitude and ending up with a prideful attitude. My intentions for service are usually on track, but the moment someone else is recognized for their service I wait to hear my name called too. This is something I have to work hard at placing in God’s hands, which leads me to my second point.

2: Surrender your need for recognition to God. Matthew 6:3 “But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,” Spend time in prayer. Be honest with God and tell Him how you feel about being invisible. If you know that you have pride in your heart, repent of it. Then surrender your need for recognition to God. Ask yourself, “Am I willing to serve the Lord even if no one ever notices for the rest of my life?” This is a tough question, but it needs to be answered. If you want to answer yes but don’t think you can, that’s okay. Let God know your desire and let Him supply the strength you need.

3: Remember that God sees. Matthew 6:4 “so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” God sees every deed we do, good or bad. He also sees our hearts. When we serve for God alone, He is pleased and we will truly be blessed, more than we could ever be by being recognized.

4: Continue serving! Use your invisibility to your advantage. Sometimes when you don’t have the spotlight, you have more opportunities to step up and serve. So go for it! Jump in whenever possible. And remember 1 Corinthians 10:31: “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

I hope you’ve been encouraged today to keep serving even when you’re invisible. Press on!

With love,

Kelsey