Living in a culture where social status is measured in likes, clicks and follows, it’s hard not to feel insignificant. Some days, it feels like every system is built to amplify our insecurities. Odds are, you and I will never publish a New York Times best-selling book, make a hit movie seen by millions, sing before a crowd of 100,000 adoring fans, or create a viral post that catapults us to glory. The fact is, by most modern standards, you and I are destined to live a life of obscurity.
Now, I realize this all sounds harsh, but don’t tune me out just yet. Maybe, just maybe, the call of fame was never anything more than a sad illusion. Ecclesiastes 5:10 reminds us of a basic truth found in every culture: “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.” We could probably add to that verse, “He who loves fame will not be satisfied with fame; he who loves glory will find insecurity.” When we consider the wisdom of Scripture today, maybe the hunger for social status does nothing more than starve our souls and feed our self-doubt.
Now for some good news. God’s missional calling offers us something far more satisfying than fame. So, for just a moment, set aside the distraction of becoming an influencer and consider the call God has placed on your life and mine to live on mission. What is our missional calling? Every Christian is called by God to go and make disciples. And the Apostle Paul, in 2 Corinthians 10:7–18, lays out for us the stability we find when we trust God to live on a mission. Let me unpack that passage and offer three takeaways.