Acts 1:12-14

Jealousy can be tough. A lot of people can never overcome it. Jesus family did, though. Earlier in Jesus ministry they tried to come to get him and take him home because they thought he was crazy, or lying, or something. But now they must have realized that He was who He said He was. It's just tough to take sometimes because we knew them growing up. We know all about them. They seem more human to us than anybody else because we know them. So when they start doing great stuff, we have more trouble accepting it.
Taking that even further, the closer we are to somebody the easier it is to not fully appreciate them. If someone I work with everyday accomplishes amazing things, I get used to it and forget just how amazing it is. What if we continually thanked and appreciated people for the things they do everyday from the mundane to the remarkable? I bet people could accomplish more with all of that encouragement. Just a thought. JM

Matthew 27:57-60

I love getting the credit for stuff I've done. It makes me feel good and appreciated. Most people like feeling appreciated. But a lot of the stuff that needs to get done in ministry and life are things that nobody will ever thank you for. I've run sound on several of our youth mission trips. Nobody ever noticed anything I did, which is kind of the point and shows that I did it well. But nobody ever said anything. Nobody appreciated it. That makes serving a lot harder sometimes because it comes to the joy of the service and the joy you get because of whom you are serving. JM