Years ago at a gathering of church leaders, I ran across a young man and immediately could see that he was a guy who was trying to climb the “ladder.” He entered the large lobby, chewing on a piece of gum, hair done perfectly right, clothing in style, and spoke to no one. No one, except those who in his mind, mattered. He quickly climbed that so-called ladder, rose to more influential, higher paying, and well known positions, and appeared to be set. At least from a fleshly perspective.

Years later, this young man would fail morally, losing his ministry position, and falling into relative obscurity. His fall was faster than his rise.

In the Book of Genesis, there is an interesting description of the people post-flood and how they reacted to God’s commands to multiply and fill the earth: Genesis 11:4 (ESV), “4 Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.'”

The people were commanded to fill the earth, but they intended to do the opposite. They were to be a world that would praise YHWH’s name, but they sought to elevate their own. In other words, the Kingdom of God would have to wait, because, after all, they were out for themselves.

Ministry is no place for names to be made. It’s no place for famous people. In fact, it should be the opposite. For a church leader, there’s only one name that needs to be elevated, and that is the saving name of Jesus. People don’t go to my church but Christ’s church, people don’t need to worship their pastor, but Jesus and only Jesus.

Brother, sister, stop trying to be famous. Vanity is vapid and the praise of man is folly. God will not share His glory with you or any other, so move on. Instead, join with me as we seek to go deeper in our walk, loving people who may not always love us, and share what it means to serve a holy God in a whole hearted way.

Pastor Fran