1 Corinthians 8:2-3
Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. But whoever loves God is known by God.
I have met some people in my journeys who have a certain self-pride shown in self-promotion. I do not know know their motives, and I do not want to judge them. But, the results of this self-promotion is the false idea that looking good before others will propel them to fame and position in the church or education institutions. Sometimes I wonder if the whole higher educational system in the US is geared towards this self-promotion. The old adage “publish or perish” continues to persist, even in Christian institutions. I just don’t see this as a kingdom value or a motivation worthy of those who are teachers and preachers of the gospel.
I would rather be known as a person who loves God, than a brilliant Bible scholar. I will do my best with the gifts and times that God gives me to build up the church, my family, and my friends, through my writing, preaching, and teaching. But in the end, it is not how much I know or how many degrees I hold or how many books I read that counts; it is in how much I love God and how much I have opened my life to allowing God’s love to flow through me.
The sobering part about this is that when I stand before God and have to give an account, I cannot pull out my resume of writings. I must look at the lives that have been touched through my love. I find this thought very humbling, and it leads me to confession before God of my wrongly placed priorities. May God give me grace to be a channel of His love.
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