For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared for us in advance to do. –Ephesians 2:10
Consider the following quote:
I am only one, but I am one;
I cannot do everything
But I can do something.
What I can do, I ought to do
And what I ought to do
By the grace of God, I will do.
–Canon Farrar
We live in a celebrity-focused culture. Just think about our “news.” So much of it is devoted to celebrities. (We read about Bono and George Clooney, Carrie Underwood, LeBron James, and see homes Fixed Up by Joanna and Chip. They all seem amazing.) It would be great if the church was immune from this culture, but it isn’t. Even the Christian community tends to highlight our best people; from musicians to speakers, to those involved in doing incredible ministry. While I’m not saying this spotlighting is wrong, I fear there are many of us who become disheartened because we know our efforts don’t approach the skills or successes of those who seem extremely gifted. I have seen some give up attempting to make a difference, when thinking they can’t measure up.
True, we may never be celebrities in the eyes of the world or within the Christian community. Thankfully, God doesn’t call us to be famous. He calls us to love one another. He calls us to give ourselves away to serve others. The needs of our world are great, and we cannot do everything. Still, as part of the body of Christ, we have a unique and invaluable role to play. God has purposely designed us for accomplishing good works in His name.
We must stop playing the comparison game. Anyone who plays the comparison game loses. There will always be someone else who does things better and there will always be someone who does things worse. We are called to serve the Lord–as if we are living for an audience of One.
Serve Him today to the best of your abilities. Your service will be a sacrifice of praise to the King.
Blessings,
Thora
Good word–healing words. I don’t know anyone immune to this in one way or another. Peter was always looking at John I think maybe John was spending his time focusing on Jesus somehow. Gee–we never want anyone to give up–we are God’s children,
LoVe this, Thora, thank you!!!
So true! Our culture is so caught up in power and prestige that these “famous” people become like deities. So important to keep the right perspective in church (and anywhere) about all the different people who serve- whether behind the scenes or in front of them!
What I love the most about God’s calling over my life is that it is free from expectations. He knows what I can accomplish in his name, and He calls it great, even if in my eyes it’s not. But just doing his will is enough for Him and it does make a difference.
Feels better to serve others when only the Lord notices!