Faithfulness, not prominence

“Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks [for the privilege].” Col 3:17 NKJV

When it comes to serving God, and others, set your heart on being faithful instead of trying to be prominent. The Bible says, “Promotion…come[s] from…God” (Ps 75:6-7 TLB), so don’t try to promote yourself. Few things in life are worse than being in a slot to which you were never called and are ill equipped to fill. Josh McDowell, who has spoken to millions of university students worldwide and authored scores of books, began his lifetime of service to Christ in a more humble fashion. His first assignment at the headquarters of Campus Crusade for Christ was cleaning the main entryway floor. He wasn’t meeting with ministry leaders; he was busy scrubbing up the dirt from their shoes. Josh’s introduction to ministry was equivalent to the guy in the Old Testament who carried the tent pegs when they moved the tabernacle from place to place. Not exactly a high-profile position! Without a proper perspective on motivation for ministry, it’s easy to get our feathers ruffled when we’re given an assignment we feel is beneath us. So how do we stay motivated about serving God? By remembering the promise that one day we’ll reap what we sow (See Gal 6:7). God has promised that at the judgment seat of Christ He’ll reward our faithful service. So if He has called you to serve Him by serving others, keep your heart focused on faithfulness—not pride of place. Live by this Scripture: “Whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks [for the privilege]” (Col 3:17 NLT).

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