Credit - do you need it?

Throughout my various careers, I have often run into individuals who think taking credit for what they have done is so very important. They want to see their names included in the research articles, or their names brought forward as the creator of the idea. To be transparent here, I know I have given away more ideas than I ever knew I had in my time on this earth - all with little or no 'credit' to speak of and so have you. I wonder what would have happened if Jesus had come out of that tomb so many years ago and looked for the walkway conversations, mealtime gatherings, and town hall discussions to all proclaim what a wonderful thing he had just accomplished on our behalf? He might have been sorely disappointed to find there were still all those who just didn't think he served any purpose in their lives!

But beware of doing your good actions in the sight of men, in order to attract their gaze; if you do, there is no reward for you with your Father who is in Heaven. (Matthew 6:1)

You may have heard the old adage, "No good deed goes unpunished." It is a sad commentary on the state of our human hearts - we do good, but sometimes we don't get good in return! What is more important to keep in mind is that when we 'do good' we aren't doing it for the accolades or to be noticed for what we have done, but because it is the right thing to do! This is the principle Jesus lived by - do good unto others and don't dwell on the 'credit' you receive or don't receive. In fact, there were times Jesus asked those he healed to NOT proclaim what he had just done, but to just live in the joy and liberty of their 'new life'. 

Good actions are the 'right' actions - no doubt about it. Will every good action result in another good action being returned. No! You can count on that one! The moment Jesus took those last steps toward the cross, he knew all his 'good actions' on behalf of all sinners for all time would not be acknowledged by some. He knew there would be those who'd reject his work, who'd want to find a way to do things for themselves. It never stopped him from doing ALL he set out to do, though. When you really think about it, he did it in hopes his actions would change the lives of those who'd actually CLAIM his actions as their OWN! Jesus showed us, we don't 'do' things for the credit - we do them for the satisfaction of having done a thing well. Just sayin!