“So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'”
(Luke 17:10)
God wants us to fulfill our duties to Him and others without expecting anything in return, not even a simple, “Thank you!” Jesus gave His disciples the following example:
“Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’” (Luke 17:7-10)
Like servants, who do as they’re told because they’re supposed to, we’re to serve God and others without expecting something in return. Many people struggle with this because they’re driven by the acknowledgment and praise that they get from others. But true servitude is determined by whether we’re willing to fulfill our duties, even when we don’t necessarily receive recognition for the work that we do.
A true servant fulfills their obligations without expecting anything in return.
Rising with the Son 