Martyr Much?

Thoughts on being a giver...

I've always been a giver. My sister describes it as a 'save the world' mentality. I want to do for others and take care of others, no matter what the cost to myself. It's instinctual for me, so it's the only way I feel comfortable. However, it's a catch 22, b/c I also have an inherent need to have my efforts acknowledged. I wonder, does that make me a martyr? I don't want to be a martyr. I don't want to be someone who only gives to others for the accolade. On the flip side, I want to be selfless without being a doormat. So I wonder...Where, exactly, is the line drawn? I have a terrible fear of being taken advantage of and being someone's fool, to the point where it lessens my desire to give when my efforts are not reciprocated or acknowledged. However, I sometimes give at the cost of my own happiness or desires, and as a result I become resentful of those for whom I'm caring. It's so frustrating, and there is no other time than when I struggle with this vice, that I wish more wholeheartedly that I could be more like Jesus.

So that's my goal for tomorrow, to fix my eyes on Jesus, to open my heart to caring and giving selflessly and cheerfully. At the end of the day, isn't Jesus a bit of a doormat for mankind?