“Can I have your autograph? Can I take a photo with you?”
At the recent X4 Conference in Singapore, as excited creatives came to me asking for autographs and selfies, I looked back on the past months of book tours, speaking engagements, and began to ask myself- am I feeding into the celebrity Christian culture that I’ve tried so hard to guard against?
At the start of the year, Cliff had challenged me, “Intentionally pick smaller, lesser known events to speak at.” So I did. I picked student events which had no means to pay for honorariums. At God’s leading, I declined a megachurch invite to speak at a small cancer support group.
In spite of my drivenness, deep down, I was searching for something beyond a bigger platform. I needed to know, that beyond the glitzy buzz, Jesus was still my anchor. That if all that was taken away (which will be when we relocate soon to Tanzania), it wouldn’t change my relationship with God.
When no outer scaffold is left to “prop up” our faith, where will our relationship with God stand?
I am learning- that we can all take a leaf from John the Baptist. With more & more following him, he had every opportunity to fall into giddy pride. People mistook him for the Messiah. People watched his face for disappointment when they told him Jesus was stealing his audience. Yet, all he said was “make straight the way of the Lord” (Jn 1:23). Instead of justifying himself to increase so as to point more to Jesus as so many of us do today, He said the opposite, “He must increase, I must decrease.” (Jn 3:30).
John understood fanfare. He understood attention. Yet, knowing his call to merely STEWARD all He was given to make way for Someone greater kept him grounded and faithful. He didn’t shy away from the crowds. He embraced, baptized, loved them.
I am learning- not to fear when someone asks me for an autograph at book table or a selfie on the street. I’m learning it’s okay to treasure the moments and photos. But at the end of the day, to purposefully, intentionally guard my heart in a posture of stewardship, to know, like John, that none of this is mine. It’s all His.
📸: @joashxlee ✝️: organized by @316_church