Doing things to make others happy is one thing...doing things to garner affection, attention, and admiration from others in an attempt to be the center of attention or the "best" at everything is just selfish and self-centered.
I've done many things in my life. I do them for two reasons: I love to learn new things and what I do pleases God. When I am using the talents he's given me to earn a living, or to make someone's life better, I am pleasing him. If I use those talents to show off to my peers, to make other's take notice while looking for kudos, that is not pleasing to God.
To be a servant of Christ is to be humble. It is to "do what you do" for no other reason than it is the right thing to do. If you are constantly seeking the approval of men, you are, in fact, serving men! You cannot serve two masters...choose which one is worthy of your time, your efforts and your talents. Use them for the better. Use them with a purpose. Serve God with joy in your heart and those kudos you seek will be transformed into blessings - a far greater reward than any pat on the back from your fellow man!
