Putting God’s Kingdom Above Ourselves
By Andrea Chatelain
“He must become greater; I must become less.” John 3:30
Say cheese! Make a video. Build a platform. Bigger is better. We’re surrounded by a culture that tells us to sell ourselves. So I find myself taking moments that are small and sweet and blowing them up on social media for all to see. I’m guilty of trying to increase my image.
It seems innocent enough, right? But if we think about it, Jesus said the number one command is to love God, then the next is to love others. So I have to ask myself, how is building my image accomplishing either of these? How is spending hours trying to build up my following in line with God’s will?
I wrestled with this concept after a publishing company responded, “We really like your idea, we just need you to have a bigger platform.” I started to panic. How would I ever be able to serve God the way I want if I don’t have a large number of readers and social media followers? Then I realized there were a lot of ‘I’s in that sentence.
Instead of striving to increase my platform or make my dream come true, I needed to get back to what Jesus commanded—to focus on my love for God and others. Reading my Bible, writing what God inspired me to, serving in my church, and walking with my friends through their struggles. The Holy Spirit reminded me that the work of God is not about our following; it’s about following Jesus and making Him known.
Psalm 37:4 says, “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” It’s so true. Like John, as we delight in Jesus, we begin desiring His ways. We can trust that this is a good change because Jesus’ plans will be infinitely greater than our own.
Andrea Chatelain’s mission is to meet women in their struggles and love them forward with God’s truth. She's part of the Wholly Loved Ministries team, is a Midwest mom of three, faith and family writer, and college English instructor to immigrants and refugees. It’s her joy to lead Bible studies in her neighborhood, church, and community because she believes Jesus transforms lives when His people boldly seek Him. Her writing reflects her love for Jesus and heart for fellow believers. Connect with Andrea more online at www.afruitfulwoman.com.
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