Slave, or Superstar?

Two great quotes from Rick Warren that speak to the greatest danger facing any leader, at any level: "Never waste energy trying to be well-known.Today’s hero is tomorrow’s zero. You work on character and leave reputation to Him." And, "Speakers like travel because it feeds the ego. Always being in the spotlight blinds you."

You may lead a church, a Sunday School class, a small group, or just your house, but if front-and-center feeds your ego and that is the core of your satisfaction, you need to repent or quit! Hey, I'm harping at the man in the mirror today (as always), but you can listen.

There's a fine line between being willing and able to be in the spotlight (no matter the audience size) and needing the spotlight to be validated.  But there's a hundred mile's difference between being a slave and being a superstar. Slaves of Christ build a reputation for genuineness. They last. They spur multiplication, not addition. They simply do what Jesus asks, and people notice Jesus when they do it. They transfer life, from Jesus to those whom they serve in His name.

Superstars - and I continue to remind you these come with big and little audiences -- may speak the truth, but after a little while everyone can see who (little 'w') it is about. They are pimping Jesus for their sole satisfaction.

It is Warren's quotes via Twitter tonight (Monday) that spurred this line of thought in me. It is a bit more personalized because I was once in on an 'insiders' meeting with Pastor Warren. Now, I am NO Warren insider -- it's a strange occurrence how I was asked into that meeting. Pastor Warren probably doesn't remember my name, I just wrote some profiles of Purpose Driven Churches for his ministry 9 or 10 years ago. But there I was in a meeting with the key leaders he'd trained up (minus me), and here's what I saw: that Rick Warren understood that everything He was given was from Christ; and that Rick Warren desired to give away everything he had been given to other pastors/leaders who would give it away.

That left an indelible imprint. The heart of the man moving His mouth will determine whether His work lasts. The heart of that same man may will be revealed -- likely to men, but always to our Father.

 Do what you do the same way before 1 or 1,000. It is hard for you. It is hard for me. I pray I am found to be a slave!