I work on a team at my office. I think I’m doing good work—at least, my reviews are always positive. But that’s about the only nice feedback I get all year. No one is mean, but I don’t receive compliments or “good jobs.” I know I’m ultimately working for the Lord, but I’m starting to feel pretty discouraged. It’s hard to keep going on pure inner motivation alone. What should I do? I get it. I’ve been there. Earlier in my career, I worked for an advertising agency where the partners seemed interested only in promoting themselves. They barely acknowledged my contributions—sometimes I wondered if our clients ever saw my work, much less knew it was mine. These days, as cofounder of the Bay Area Center for Faith, Work & Tech, I regularly hear from people whose projects go unnoticed, whose managers don’t seem to care, and who absorb additional responsibilities without recognition or reward. It’s disheartening, discouraging, and just plain wrong. So, before I offer some thoughts, please know this: The longing to be seen and valued isn’t weakness. It’s deeply human. After all, God created us to work and intends for our work to matter. Your Work Is Part of Something Bigger This perspective has anchored me through seasons of feeling invisible at work: Our labor isn’t just for our employers—it’s part of God’s ongoing renewal of the world. God created us to work and intends for our work to matter. When Jesus lived, died, and rose again, he inaugurated the return of his kingdom—the renewal and restoration of all things to the good and beautiful state God intended in Genesis 1–2, before the fall shattered it in Genesis 3. He’s doing that work through us and through our work. Whether you’re developing a product, providing customer service, repairing equipment, or fixing spreadsheets, you’re stewarding his creation; working for beauty, order, justice, and human flourishing; and, often, contributing to his kingdom. This means your work matters to God even when it doesn’t seem to matter to your manager. The doctrine of vocation reminds us that God works through ordinary human labor to sustain and renew the world. Your unnoticed work is never actually unseen. Work for the Lord and Await His Reward God promises rewards to those who work faithfully for him. In Colossians 3:23–24 (NIV), the apostle Paul writes, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.” And in Galatians 6:9 (NIV), he urges us to “not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” God is our ultimate Boss. We work for his pleasure, and we can bring glory to him through our work. If we trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior, our eternal destiny is secure—our wholehearted work doesn’t earn our salvation. But Scripture does teach that there will be degrees of reward for believers in the life to come, corresponding to our faithfulness in this one (1 Cor. 3:12–15). So, let’s work with those greater rewards in mind. And the reward isn’t only future. There’s a present joy in working with integrity—and a growing intimacy with God as we bear his image through the work we do. As you work wholeheartedly for him, even in obscurity, that work is already an act of worship. Here are a few practical suggestions to help you remember that: Use prayer to reorient yourself throughout the workday. Tell the Lord: “I know you see my work and call it good.” Or set a daily alarm at 3:23 p.m.—a reminder of the Colossians verse—and pause to pray and notice where God was present in your work that day. These small practices can increase your awareness of God’s presence with you at work and his pleasure in your work. Humility Doesn’t Mean Hiding With your work grounded in stewardship and faithfulness, you can take concrete steps to improve your situation. These suggestions are based on something the Christian instinct toward humility can sometimes obscure: Seeking recognition for your work isn’t necessarily pride—it can be wise stewardship of the gifts and opportunities that God has given you. Start by talking with your manager. Proactively share what you’re working on and ask for regular feedback conversations. Make sure your boss knows what you’re contributing and that you genuinely want to understand the influence you’re having. Document your track record. Identify how your work contributes to team, department, and company goals, and keep a running record of accomplishments in concrete, quantifiable terms. This will serve you well in performance reviews and equip you to have an honest conversation about whether your contributionas are being appropriately recognized. Seeking recognition for your work isn’t necessarily pride—it can be wise stewardship of the gifts and opportunities that God has given you. When it comes to sharing achievements publicly—say, announcing a promotion on LinkedIn—the Christian call to humility doesn’t require silence. It requires a particular posture. Before you post, ask yourself, Whom am I seeking to lift up? What or whom am I drawing attention to? Does the post honor God, love my neighbor, and seek the flourishing of others? Rather than broadcasting personal achievement, you can share an announcement about an accomplishment or milestone in the spirit of 1 Corinthians 4:7—“What do you have that you did not receive?”—so you give credit to God, acknowledge colleagues, and genuinely invite others into the celebration. Tim Keller describes humility as “self-forgetfulness”: not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less. That’s exactly the disposition a well-crafted LinkedIn post can model. You Aren’t Laboring in Vain God sees the dataset you’re slogging through. He sees the monotonous calls you’re fielding. He sees the extra hours, the work no one says thanks for, the contributions absorbed without acknowledgment. That work—done with integrity and directed toward him—is already recorded in the only ledger that lasts. Let me close with the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NIV): Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. You are seen. Keep going.