February 7, 2011
Servants, not Celebrities
by Ryan Duncan
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10
I have a daily routine. Every morning I get up at 7:00 am, shower, shave, and get dressed. Then I start preparing my meal for the evening. As I'm a single male just out of college, this usually boils down to finding whatever looks edible and tossing it in a crock pot. After that's finished I start packing my lunch for the day. Again, I am a single male, so crock pot leftovers are the daily special. Finally, once those are finished, I pour myself a bowl of cereal and log on to CNN.com.
I admit most mornings I'd rather be on Hulu catching up on my TV programs, but I've found that CNN helps me stay up-to-date on events and issues I'd normally miss. One of my favorite features is the CNN Heroes tribute. In 2007, CNN began a worldwide news campaign that highlighted individuals who were fighting to make the world a better place.
This tribute has continued in the following years, taking nominations that included Dan Wallrath, a man who builds mortgage free homes for wounded soldiers, and 2010's signature hero, Anuradha Koirala, who fights to save girls from human trafficking rings in Nepal.
I can remember reading about these heroic individuals and being stunned that I had never heard of them before! On a whim, I googled a list of famous people. Do you know who names dominated the list? Lady Gaga, Stephen Colbert, Megan Fox, Mark Zuckerberg.
In Mark 10:44-45, Jesus says "Whoever wishes to be first among you shall be a servant of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as ransom for many."
There's nothing wrong with being a celebrity. There's nothing wrong with pursing dreams to become a famous singer, writer or athlete. But what we Christians must remember is that God called us to do wonderful, extraordinary things that may just go unnoticed by the rest of the world.
Our work is not meant to draw the spotlight on us but to point others toward the grace and forgiveness we were shown by Jesus Christ. Because truthfully, celebrities come and go -- replaced every year with newer, younger talent. But the actions of a godly heart, the spirit that strives to follow Christ, those are the things that truly last.
Intersecting Faith and Life
What are you putting before God? Take some time to pray and reconnect with Christ.
Further Reading
