Nameless, Faceless Generation
Think it might have been Louie Giglio, founder of the passion movement who first coined the phrase "nameless, faceless" as it pertains to ministry. It encapsulates the idea that the more we make our events and lives about a group of God's people, rather than just one person or one ministry - the more God can receive the credit for what's being accomplished in His Name and bless our efforts. Meaning, life's not about our names, but about His Name!
Giglio uses the theme verse Isaiah 26:8 - "Your Name and Your renown oh Lord, are the desire of our hearts."
I love this concept. This idea stirs me in the depths of my soul. I want to be a part of a movement like this. I long to give God all the glory for all He is accomplishing in and through my life.
I've been thinking a lot lately about this idea. I've realized that I love meeting with many Christian leaders to hear how God is using them ... almost more than I love building our own ministry. It's like, every time I get together with another leader, I am collecting stories of God bigger than me!
Seriously, let's be honest - God does most of His work through un-trumpeted workers.
But it's so easy to long for the credit ourselves. There's a crazy passage of Scripture in Luke 10, where Jesus has just sent out his disciples for ministry. They return overjoyed at how God had used them:
"The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority .. to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." (Luke 10:17-20, NIV).
Essentially, God is saying I'm gonna use you, but it's not about you!
The question that's been ringing in my ears lately is how can we serve each other rather than use each other? How often are we tweeting about other people's ministries? How much are we serving, praying and raising support for other people's ministries?
After all, a wise Christian leader recently stated: "Our job as ministers is not to ascend the ladder of success, but to descend the ladder of servanthood." Are we going up when we are supposed to be going down?
If we really want to be like Jesus, we will stop setting up little ministry kingdom's for ourselves, and start serving others around us in the far eclipsing Kingdom of God! May He raise up a nameless, faceless generation of Christian leaders to usher in the return of Christ!
