My husband and I were watching the TV show Billions today.
It was a particularly funny part and I turned to him and asked, “What is his name?”
He shrugged, “I don’t remember.” He, in this case, was Bobby Axelrod’s Chief Operating Officer who, in my opinion, was many things to Bobby beyond being his COO.
We had watched this show for all of 2 seasons and into the start of Season 3 and did not know the screen name of such a key figure! Sure, we had been paying loose attention but at least we knew a couple of names in the show.
I found his role interesting. Wags (When I googled, I realized we knew his name all along but just never remembered) in this show had been many things to Bobby; from fixer, to confidant… many things. Yet, Bobby was the Billionaire, the spotlight was almost always on him.

How many of us are actually content with that? Watching Wags conduct himself and think up solutions to Bobby’s many crisis and do the bidding of Bobby several times, and very cheerfully too made me think deep. You know, in this life, everyone isn’t always going to take the center stage, everyone isn’t always going to have the spotlight beamed on them. Are you content with being behind the scenes, doing your thing faithfully, happily, content that you are filling your place?

Or are there these pent up feelings of discontentment and a pining for a better tomorrow when the spotlight would be on you? We are certain, from our knowledge of God’s word and all the capabilities He gave us, that we were born for the spotlight and we were born to do and achieve things so big that our names would become household names. We look at popular personalities and excitedly tell ourselves that if they could, we too can. That is good. We actually can. But, that isn’t why I write this post today.

I am reminded of Shakespeare’s quote in the Twelfth Night, some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” Daily, we remind ourselves that we fit into one of those categories. That is true. After all, He said in His word that He would “increase our greatness…” (Psalm 71:21).

However, we live in an age where the term greatness is relative; where we are seen to be great by the number of likes, followers, comments, the amounts in our bank accounts, our congregation size, the streets we live in, the validation we receive from people especially as a result of our outward achievements etc. Fame is sometimes misconstrued for greatness. While those achievements are commendable, we need to constantly remind ourselves that we live for and will give account to God who doesn’t see as man sees.

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature… Humans do not see what the LORD sees, for humans see what is visible, but the LORD sees the heart…” 1 Samuel 16:7

In the above scripture, when Samuel saw Eliab, he was sure the  chosen one was before him, but God wasn’t having any of that. He knew what He sought for in a man, and He didn’t measure with human yardsticks.
I write to urge you today to stick with the master plan for your life; every book you write doesn’t have to be a bestseller for you to consider yourself great (especially in the eyes of God), every meeting you organize doesn’t have to be packed out for you to term it a success…
Remember, in the parable of the talents some were given two talents, some more. He rewarded them based on how well they used what He gave them. He didn’t heap all their results together and measure the returns of the one with two talents against the returns of the one who had been given five. No. He measured their returns based on what He gave them individually.

Are you using to the full all He gave you?
Do what God tells you to do happily, content to be in your place, doing what He called you to. Whatever side of the fortified bridge you are on, you will be tempted; tempted to think you are far behind, always yearning for something else, something higher. It makes life more beautiful when you sit with the One who sees what is invisible and get a plan for your life. Pray, let Him guide you. This sounds spooky, almost like how do I understand what God wants me to do?
But, He didn’t leave us clueless. Start with who you are, what you are and what you can do in that place you are. Then build on it. Stay faithful, stay loyal, stay thankful. As you take those baby steps, lighting up your corner where you are, things will add up and you’ll go to sleep every night knowing that you used every bit of what He gave you to bring Him glory.

Would you be willing to give your life to save the world if no one ever knew your name? If anonymity was the price you would have to pay for significance, would it be too great a price? – Erwin Raphael McManus