WIIFM

“When you have done all you have been commanded, say, “We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.”  (Luke 17:10b)

The most fundamental principle of human motivation is that people are motivated by self-interest, the principle of "What’s in it for me?"

Think of a mother who spends the day cleaning and then preparing the family meal.  At the end of the day, it is certainly nice to be recognized for her hard work and to be thanked for it.  Of course, when the family is grateful and acknowledges this loving service, this gratitude is healthy and is nothing other than an act of love.  It is good to be grateful and to express it. 

But what Jesus is saying in the gospel passage above is not so much about the fact that we must strive to be grateful for the love and service of others, rather, it’s about our own motivation for service.  Do we serve just to be thanked?  Or do we provide service because it is good and right to serve?

Jesus makes it clear that our Christian service to others, be it in the family or in some other context, must be primarily motivated by a certain duty of service.  We must serve out of love regardless of the receptivity or acknowledgment of others.

Imagine this:  You spent your day in some service and that service was done out of your love of others.  Now imagine that no one expressed gratitude for your work.   Would that change your commitment to service?  Should the reaction, or lack of reaction, of others deter you from serving as God wants you to serve?  Certainly not.  We must serve and fulfill our Christian duty simply because it is the right thing to do and because it is what God wants of us.