For Whose Name are You Working?

 By: Rebekah Hargraves 

Photo Courtesy of:  Sasha Yudaev

"And they said, 'Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.' But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. And the Lord said, 'Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.'So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth." ~Genesis 11:4-9 

Working and ministering in the book-writing, blogging, podcasting, and speaking space, I know just how easy it is to fall into the very same desires and temptations expressed by those who built the Tower of Babel. Everywhere I turn are entrepreneurial gurus sharing their best tips on how you can get noticed on social media, increase your engagement, build your platform, and get your name and brand out there.


The problem, though, is that, as believers, this life was never meant to be about us. We have been created as image bearers of God, tasked with the mission of being ambassadors of Christ who are spreading the good news of the gospel wherever we go. We are to make much of Christ, and seek to make His name great and His truth known.


Instead, however, many believers (including myself, at times!) battle with the temptation to make a name for themselves, desiring to be famous in the eyes of the masses. But this will not ultimately fill us up, nor will it make us truly impactful for the kingdom of God. Rather, pride comes before a fall, as the book of Proverbs makes clear.


If we want to live lives of impact for the kingdom of God, we need to be about the work of spreading the name, goodness, truth, love, and character of God - not ourselves. We need to be comfortable with fading into the background so that Christ can shine forth through us. We need to be willing to be humble and lowly in our service to Christ just as Christ Himself was when He came to serve us.


That, my friend, will lead to your living a truly fruitful and world-changing life. If, however, you seek to hold fast to your life, your popularity, and your fame, you will potentially lose it all.

Reflection Questions: 

1) In what ways have you been tempted to build a tower for your own name?

2) How is the Lord convicting you in that area?

3) What changes need to be made going forward?