Prominence on Earth or Precious in the Eyes of the Lord

Do you enjoy being recognized for deeds well-done?  Does it feel good when you are commended for accomplishments and achievements in life?  If you had a choice to live in obscurity or popularity, which would you choose?

While most of us give lip service to humility, I believe the reality is that most of us enjoy being praised. We want to be like that old advertising campaign that said, “When E.F. Hutton speaks, people listen!”

This is not a new revelation.  In fact, the disciples of Jesus spent much of their time jockeying for position in the pecking order of His followers.  One time, the mother of James and John lobbied for her sons to be prominent in the kingdom of God.  She said to Jesus, “Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand , and the other on the left, in thy kingdom” (Matthew 20:21).

Jesus, in answering her, also began to teach a revolutionary principle to His disciples—that of servant leadership.  He taught the disciples that the way up is down, that the way to prominence in the kingdom of God is through service in the kingdom of man.  Listen to His words:

But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.            Matthew 20:25-28

We are not so much different then they were, are we?  Perhaps you have always thought of the disciples as men of such spiritual greatness that your life could never compare to theirs.  And yet, there we see it… they too struggled with the pride of life and desire for prominence that so many of us (myself included) struggle with our entire lives.

Today, I was paging through one of my favorite books looking for a sermon illustration.  The book is called The Pilgrim Fathers by John Brown (first published in 1906, republished in 1970).  I came across this quote that I wanted to share with you.  This passage is from  The History of the Plymouth Plantation and is quoting a memoir by Governor Bradford.  Referring to the Pilgrims who came from Holland with their pastor, William Brewster, he wrote:

And that which was a crown unto them, they lived together in love and peace all their days without any considerable difference or any disturbance that grew thereby, but such as was easily healed in love; and so they continued until with mutual consent they removed into New England… Many worthy and able men there were among them who lived and died in obscurity in respect of the world, as private Christians, yet were they precious in the eyes of the Lord.     (Pilgrim Fathers, p.126)

So, if the history of my life, or of your life, were to be written, would it carry so wondrous an epitaph as Governor Bradford wrote of that congregation? 

I have a friend who is a missionary in France who recently wrote about this process requiring God to “deconstruct” our lives so we become what He wants us to be!  And, I agree with her that it is often a painful process.  I also think that “deconstruction” often reveals holes that have to be patched before the parts can be reconstructed!

Is this what is meant when Scripture says, “And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…”(Romans 12:2)?

“Dear Lord, help me to be more concerned about my life being precious in your eyes, than to be prominent in the eyes of this world.  Teach me to be the servant you have called me to be and be faithful in what You’ve called me to do.”