Many that are first shall be last

"Pray fervently to God that your motives may be right. Pray earnestly for his help to search your won heart and make it right. we may spend a busy lifetime doing great things for God and the Truth and His people, and get paeans of ego-building praise from everyone - except God. This is why "many that are 1st shall be last". If our motives are tinges with self pride and gratification of the flesh, then all our life's labours are less than worthless: worse than doing nothing at all, for it puts us deeper into the flesh than ever. Help must come from above.... A truly humble Bible student with spiritual discernment, is embarrassed by praise. It makes him acutely uncomfortable, for he realizes how puny his highest "accomplishments" are..."
Rene, Search me O God p. 31