A (Not So) Super Power
“Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave of free.”-Ephesians 6:7-8
What superpower would you choose?
You may not have ever given this question much thought or engaged in heated conversations with friends as to whether speed, strength, flying, or X-Ray vision you desired. Being INVISIBLE was at the bottom of my list. There are few things that are as discouraging and/or infuriating, as not being acknowledged, appreciated, noticed, and honored.
I know that one of the areas I have had to work through, battle against, and release to God is the feeling of insecurity and insignificance. There have been times that I have questioned my ability, influence, and effectiveness based on a lack of affirmation from others. Rather than allowing the Lord to speak over me, “Well done good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21), I put more stock in the silence of others. Anytime I found myself in this “invisible mode,” I measured myself on the wrong things, such as, how many people attended church, what people said about the message, or whether fellow pastors invited me to do something.
The Lord is wanting us to be freed from the need for human praise to determine our identity and value. In Matthew 6:1 Jesus stated, “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” Please understand, there is nothing inherently wrong or unhealthy about receiving affirmation. In Romans 12:10 Paul calls us to, “Honor one another above yourselves.” The danger lies when we allow affirmation from man to determine our identity, joy level, and overall activity in following/serving the Lord. This type of mentality will cripple us, keep us chained, and corrupt our hearts. Listen to what John 12:43 diagnoses about a group of people who had faith in Jesus but were bound by fear, “For they loved human praise more than praise from God.”
When we serve the Lord humbly and faithfully, from a place that seeks only to please Him, we are sure to hear about it. In fact, just over the last month, as my invisibility meter was rising, I had three different encounters with people from my past, who sought me out to tell me how I impacted their lives. Those GOD MESSAGES delivered significance and overrode all the LEAF MANUFACTURING I was attempting to produce! So church, let’s find our true substance and power from the One who is always SUPER and always speaking His life, promise, and pleasure over us!