The Thankless Servant

Luke 17:9 "Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not."

The servant in the house of the master does what is expected of him. He does do without expecting thanks or compensation of any kind. By definition, being a servant or slave brings with it the surrender of any kind of hope for rewards of one's actions of obedience to the master's will. The ideal servant was one who performed his duties quietly and efficiently. He gets all done that is expected without being seen or heard. He stays in the background and looks for clues from his master of what to do next. He knows from experience what he needs to do to make his master happy and does so faithfully. The most he can hope for is not to draw attention to himself and not be noticed.
How many times do we get upset or have our feelings hurt because we faithfully perform our tasks and duties at home, at work or in ministry and no one notices. We do all that is required of us but then do not get any recognition for a job well done. Whether or not the job was really well done is questionable for we often think more highly of our work than others. In any case, we long for recognition and rewards, a pat on the back saying "well done!" When others simply don't notice us we feel overlooked, unappreciated and treated unfairly.
But hat is exactly what is expected of us as faithful servants of our Lord. We are here as followers and servants of the living God. He loved us first in a way that is so far above all that we could ever repay Him that any effort on our behalf to give back is ridiculous in comparison. He gave up His own son in order for us to be with Him. He has paid the penalty for our transgressions and we are now free to give up our lives in return for His. It is our choice to love Him back and He tells us "to love Him is to obey His commandments." We chose to do what He says out of thankfulness for His gift of salvation and our service to Him and others does bot warrant any rewards in return. We have already received our reward, ahead of anything we ever did for Him, and a lifetime of service could not repay Him for what He has given us freely. Yet, incredibly as it may seem, He choses to still bless us for our works and obedience. As we die to our own desires and live a life of service unto the Master of heaven He showers blessings above blessings upon us. We can never out give our loving Father. We may never get the recognition from man on earth, but one day we will stand before our Creator and hear the words "Well done my good and faithful servant."

Application
In order for me to keep in mind that nothing I do in obedience to the Lord warrants any rewards for me, I will keep Galatians 2:20 in mind today.