The essence of serving God is to do so without recognition.
There was a time when every charitable act I did—every good deed—I wanted the world to see. Whether it was serving at a local food bank, coaching a team, or receiving a heartfelt message from someone I’d helped, I’d find a way to post about it. I craved acknowledgment—not just from strangers, but from friends and followers. I wanted credit. I wanted admiration. I wanted proof that I mattered.
That wasn’t service. That was ego.
The ego wants credit. It will dress up our goodness, amplify our generosity, and post it for the world to see. And when others don’t applaud? The ego gets offended. It whispers, “Don’t they see how good I’ve been? Don’t they owe me a thank you?”
But the soul doesn’t need credit. The truest parts of us—the parts aligned with God—don’t seek attention. They move quietly, purely, without a scoreboard.
Gary Zukav, in The Seat of the Soul, introduced me to a practice I still use: before any action, I ask, “What is my intention?”
Am I doing this to be seen?
Do I expect a thank you?
Am I holding someone in debt to the kindness I gave?
If the answer is yes, the deed is coming from ego—not spirit.
Even my old social media posts make me cringe now. Scripture quotes paired with selfies. Charity disguised as branding. It was all dressed up in the name of faith, but much of it was performative. Look at me. I’m kind. I’m spiritual. I’m a Christian.
“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
—Matthew 6:1–4 (NIV)
In the last year or so, I’ve tried to shed that version of myself. I’m learning to live more anonymously in a world that screams “Be seen!” I once wrote in a devotional that I just want to be a "Bozo on the bus"—just another soul, quietly doing what’s right without needing to be noticed.
Even my social media has become… boring. A picture of my family at a wedding. A quiet moment at my daughter’s graduation. No captions seeking admiration. Just moments. Honest, unpolished, unpromoted.
In my service work—whether it's sitting on a panel, sponsoring someone in recovery, or helping in the shadows—I try to keep it sacred. No posts. No applause. Just presence.
God sees. That’s enough.
And He’s not keeping score—only the ego does that.
If you want to test your ego, try this:
Do good. Tell no one.
Serve others in silence.
Give from your soul, which seeks no spotlight.
And in return, God will give you something the world never can—deep, eternal growth. Not just in the life to come, but right here, right now.
“Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips.”
—Proverbs 27:2 (NIV)
Closing Prayer
Lord, quiet my ego and awaken my soul.
Teach me to serve without seeking recognition,
to love without conditions,
and to give without needing praise.
Let my heart reflect You in silence,
so that what is unseen may be holy in Your sight.
Amen.
