Recognition & Acknowledgement

This week’s sermon was quite interesting and arresting. A late night before had taken its toll on me and unfortunately, I am ashamed to admit that I fell asleep for the first bit. However, his second bit captured my attention. In telling us that we ought to be this and that, I found that much of what he said we should behave like (from what he gleans from and how he interprets the Bible) are already character traits that I have tried to inculcate in my behaviour from a young age. I find that when I was younger I was perhaps more disciplined and led a much more character-ed life. However, as it is, I think recent years have just served to bring out and display the worst in me, and not just bring out, but possibly develop it as well.

At any rate, two things he said stuck. All men have a need to be acknowledged and to be recognized. If at work, fair enough, because it translates into one’s income. However, off work, it is vital to remember that either you don’t do something, or you do it out of love, and if it is done out of love, it is the outcome of your act that is important, hence one should not need to feel appreciated/loved/acknowledged for that deed. If one feels somewhat unappreciated etc, then one should re-examine one’s true intent for performing that deed. That sort of response is welcome, but if it doesn’t come, one should not dwell on it at all. The second thing is that people always threaten colleagues with quitting. That is a thought that I am guilty of. The knowledge that they need me more and that I can just walk and THEN we’ll see where they are, and the capacity to utilize this negatively, is a very bad thing to use as a lever, even if kept to myself.

Must endeavour to lead a more principally correct life out of a genuine desire to be that sort of person, and not just because the Bible says so. Fear of God is fine, but I rather be a good person out of being a good person, rather than because of a fear of God’s retribution.