Humans aren’t made to receive applause

My friend Bill shared this on LinkedIn today and gave us his permission to share with you. Some very wise words worth reading! — Josh

From Bill Montgomery, President/CEO at River Radio Ministries…

Listening to a podcast recently, I heard a comment that stopped me in my tracks. It unintentionally explained a problem my brain had been working on regarding the numerous failures and falls of pastors and ministry leaders over the last several years. I can’t find the exact podcast, so forgive me for the lack of attribution. 

“Humans aren’t made to receive applause, we are made to give it. If we are receiving it and do our best to cast it heavenward, then maybe we have a chance.”

Having just come from a Christian Music Radio conference, I fear this is extremely applicable to those of us in outward facing ministries where people are continually telling us what they like about us, how good we are doing, how important we are…roles like pastor, artist, musician, DJ, leader, employee of “fun” ministries. People love us, want to be us and like to feed our egos.

I don’t know about you, but I like to have my ego fed. And that can quickly become unhealthy. If we begin doing the right things for the wrong motives, it begins to make the right things the wrong things and we no longer see our own faults. We become self-centered, ego driven, narcissistic. And it impacts how we treat people, why we do ministry and eats the culture of our organization from the inside out.

So what’s the takeaway? We must be in continual recognition and reminder of who we are and who God is. We are the creation…He is the creator. We are branches…He is the Vine. Apart from God, we can do NOTHING. Anything we say, anything we do, it all comes from God. He has gifted us uniquely to accomplish His purposes. We have to use the skills, tools, talents that we have to honor Him, and deflect all the praise, accolades and applause to Him. When we can have a proper perspective of our relationship, we are more likely to live a life that keeps God where He belongs…on the throne in our life, and keep us where we belong…as His hands and feet.

Quick note: this is not to think of ourselves as lowly or insignificant…we are made in the image of God! We are joint heirs of Christ. We are His Workmanship created for good works in Christ which God has prepared beforehand for us to do. 

Let’s fulfill our calling, whatever it is. And let’s do it in humility, with the proper perspective of who we have been made to be.