“My” Greatest Accomplishment
Just a few months ago I celebrated my 10-year anniversary serving on staff at First Baptist Watauga. Not too long before that, referring to my tenure with my church, a friend asked me, “What do you think your greatest accomplishment has been?”
Before I answer that question, let me first say a few things:
1. In an earlier blog-post, I wrote about my desire to have a sense of accomplishment. Accomplishment can be a good thing. It can be motivating. However, I believe many times we as humans pursue the wrong things or worthless things to receive that sense of accomplishment. While I realize I fail at times, it is not my desire to do this.
2. Writing about “my” accomplishments or even “my” greatest accomplishment can seem very prideful. This is not my desire with this post. It is my desire with this post and with my life to have the attitude described by Paul in Romans 12:3, not thinking more highly of myself than I ought to and to also adopt the same attitude of Christ Jesus seen in Philippians 2:5-8.
3. I put the word “my” in quotation marks, because ultimately, what can I accomplish apart from Christ? If I have any successes, any accomplishments, they are not mine to claim alone. I am only as accomplished and successful as the Lord has allowed, and He deserves all the credit and glory.
“What do you think your greatest accomplishment has been?”
I’ll be honest; when I was first asked this question my thoughts were immediately turned to things that I viewed to be bigger or larger things. Buildings and budgets typically seem to be the focus of many ministries. What have I done to enhance the building, raise funds, or expand our ministry? What “big” things have I accomplished?
The Café
Several years back when I was leading our children’s and young adult ministries we had an outdated and largely unused space. It was a 1950’s style kitchen, upstairs in our church building. It was right off the main room that I had been using for both of the ministries I was leading. So, I cast vision to have this outdated space remodeled and transformed into a functional and modern café. I could see children, students, and young adults hanging out in this future café. This plan was put into motion. The old kitchen was ripped out. The space was remodeled. A modern café now sits in its place. It’s functional. It’s modern. It’s accessible. It’s a great space for fellowship and ministry.
But is this my greatest accomplishment?
Furthermore, is that really the mindset that the Lord has called me to have as a minister or even as a follower of Christ? Buildings and budgets…is that what will really matter in eternity?
I was convicted of this attitude, to the point that I felt compelled to repent of it. Let’s be honest, in a world where functionality of space and even money matters, it’s not a bad thing to be able to cast vision for space, raise money, and upgrade buildings. But, that should not be my primary focus. Buildings and budgets are temporary and I serve an eternal God.
The café remodel was not “my” greatest accomplishment!
“My” greatest accomplishment…
As I was convicted of and repented of a heart focused on buildings and budgets, my thoughts were then turned to people. People are “my” greatest accomplishment. Specifically, those I have trained, equipped, and discipled.
One specific name comes to mind. This young man showed up to our young adult ministry one night several years ago. He was a believer, but like many young adults, he was looking for direction. His thoughts were filled with endless possibilities of what God might be calling him to do with his life, but he was unsure. He needed someone to listen to him, to speak into his life, and to disciple him. I was open to this opportunity.
He and I began meeting weekly. After some time passed, he began volunteering as an intern. The volunteer internship turned into a paid internship. After discipling him, training him, and offering him some direction, I was able to recommend him to another church to be their part-time youth minister. He served with that church for a while before the Lord called him to another church to lead their student ministry where I have watched him faithfully lead and serve for several years. Not to mention that in all of this I was able to participate in both his licensing service at our own church and his ordination service at his current church.
In his time serving as a student minister, many students have come to know the Lord and others have been called to serve in ministry themselves.
This young man is only one example.
There are others. In my ten years at First Baptist Watauga, discipleship has been a priority for me. There are seasons that I disciple multiple individuals one-on-one and there are seasons that I’m only discipling one. But, there is always one.
Because of my willingness to invest in people and because of God’s grace and faithfulness in my own life, I am able to see faithful followers of Christ producing more faithful followers of Christ. This is not temporary. This is eternal.
What has “my” greatest accomplishment been? By far, the answer is people.
So true!