By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. – John 13:35, KJV

A friend once told me about a workplace poster that made him laugh out loud. The poster had a picture of the Peanuts character Snoopy on it, and Snoopy was wearing a navy blue suit in an office setting. The caption at the bottom of the poster read, “Doing a good job around here is like wetting your pants in a navy blue suit. You get a warm feeling, but nobody notices.”

According to a recent survey, 70% of people who resign from their jobs do so because they don’t feel valued at work. Such a statistic isn’t all that shocking when you consider that it is human nature to value your own needs before you value the needs of your neighbor. Have you ever known a parent, for example, who needed to teach his child how to snatch a toy from another child? No, such selfishness comes naturally, so it should be no surprise when we see work environments characterized by “an every man for himself” culture. It’s normal. What is rare is to find a work environment where a team atmosphere exists, where the other guy’s success is just as important to you as yours. If you stumble upon such a rarity, cling to it with all of your might!

Throughout His earthly ministry, Christ did not teach self-esteem, He taught others-esteem. Like a good parent who teaches his child to share the toys, Christ taught His people to share themselves. He hammered home the need to serve others, the need to sacrifice for others, and the need to help others, even when you don’t feel like it. In short, He taught His people to love one another. Christ knew (and knows) how special such a character trait is. In John 13:35 (KJV) He explained, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” To value others above yourself and to share yourself sacrificially with others was – and is – so rare that such character will be the unmistakeable mark of a true disciple of Christ.

God wants you to value others by sharing with them your time, your energy, and your talents. So, how good at sharing are you these days?