The Dangerfield Effect
February 21st, 2008 Posted in Growth
You could call it the “Dangerfield Effect.” It’s those times when we feel we “don’t get no respect,” as the late comedian Rodney Dangerfield put it. The lack of respect may come from anyone, and probably from everyone at one time or another. It could be a co-worker, a boss, someone who works for us, our mate, our kids, or maybe our pet dog or cat! We feel under-appreciated or over-looked. And we feel miserable!
Actually, we’re in good company! Jesus didn’t get the respect He deserved by most of the people who met Him. The apostle Paul spends a fair amount of time defending his position as an apostle in his second letter to the Christians at Corinth. He wrote, “I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do…” and so it goes. (2 Corinthians 11:16ff)
What might God be seeking to do with us when He allows us to go unappreciated? One of my favorite authors, Calvin Miller, reminds us that humility is an important characteristic for followers of Christ to exhibit and that one of the ways we learn humility is through humiliation. We know that pride is wrong. When you think about it, praise could be a handy bait for Satan to use to trap us in the sin of pride.
Certainly there’s a significant place for praising someone. We all desperately need to be affirmed, and the scriptures address the need for encouraging one another. What we’re focusing on here, however, is those times we aren’t praised and affirmed and how we can turn it into a positive. At such times I think the Lord is calling us to practice the discipline of being unappreciated. We’re to grow through the experience!
The apostle Paul, who we’ve already seen could have been called the apostle Dangerfield, wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” (Colossians 3:12) We not only can get over being unappreciated but we can grow beyond it!
Dave
