Martyr

“Woe is me…can’t anyone see how hard I am working for…..(fill in the blank)!!!? Can’t they see how I am sacrificing for the good of the cause? Why am I not getting more recognition and praise?” How often does litany this go through our minds? And why? Is it because we are suffering from the martyr complex? I see this complex in a lot of people, and have suffered it myself many times. It is common among people who do volunteer work, be it among church or non church environments. Is there a way to combat it?

First and foremost we need to assess our hearts. Why is it that we are doing the volunteer thing anyway? Is it for God or man? Are we trying to prove ourselves to others? So they can see how good we are? How we sacrifice so much? How good we are! Such good Christians!!! In the last course I took, it talks about how we know the true condition of our heart by how we behave when there is no one watching us. This is when our true character comes out. There is no one to impress or disappoint…so now I can…..???

I need to repent of this. The condition of my heart needs to be changed to one of sincerity and wholeness. Jesus is the only one who needs to see what I do…and the only one who I need to do it for. He is the ultimate judge of my character, and the only one who’s opinion matters in the end. If I do what I do for the accolades that come from men, I have lost my true reason for existing. Let this be the year that sees this change in my heart…