These days, everyone seems to get a trophy.
Trophies for the winners. Trophies for the runners-up. Even trophies just for showing up and participating or being a member of the team.
And, there are trophies for everything — academic and athletic events, religious accomplishments, political and military recognitions. The list is never ending.
We all love to be recognized. It is understandable that after putting forth the effort to run the race or earn the degree, we want an accolade for our hard work. We all want a pat on the back, or to hear, “job well done.” It is human nature.
Yet, the idea of receiving awards for our actions doesn’t really align with living the life of a steward. As a matter of fact, in Luke 14:10, we are told “Always set yourself in the lowest place.”
This concept goes completely against the grain of our desire to be recognized.
Being a steward means not being proud of ourselves for what we accomplish, but to be thankful to God for giving us such a blessing. The glory is His, not ours. Instead of stacking up trophies, medals, and certificates for our egos, we should redirect the honor to the one who gave it to us in the first place.
