Titles
Titles have power. In fact, they have so much power that our society ranks your salary, career success, future potential and even self-worth on titles. Just take a look at our social media channels. LinkedIn is a “job board frenzy” of people trying to associate with the person of the highest title and biggest brands attached to their name. Facebook and Twitter are just as bad—people usually follow the person with the most prestigious title, famous name and/or recognizable brands supporting them. It’s a vicious marketing cycle that entices us to throw our name into the hat and try to grab the biggest title that will make us feel important, get us the bigger paying job and bring more people to our social media channels. It consumes us.
This became more apparent to me this week as I was reading different news articles, press releases and blogs for my PR consulting business. As a publicist, it’s actually my job to promote and brag about titles and special events for people and their brands to be marketed and promoted to the public. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with shining a good light on people who have worked very hard for their companies and families, but do we place too much of our self-worth and value on these titles?
In my own life, I have many different titles that define me—wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, publicist, writer, blogger, speaker, etc. But, there is one title that I tend to forget and not put at the top of the list—servant of the living God.
I began reading the book of Daniel this week and one phrase stood out to me like never before. The Babylonian King Darius reluctantly sent Daniel into the lions’ den because his other advisors had tricked him into signing a decree against praying to anyone except the king. But even after being unjustly persecuted by other jealous men, this is the powerful accolade that Daniel received when the king discovered him still alive with the lions the next morning:
“Very early the next morning, the king got up and hurried out to the lions’ den. When he got there, he called out in anguish, ‘Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?’” (Daniel 6:19, 20 NLT)
The king didn’t shout out, “Daniel, my great advisor!” or “Daniel, my wise councilman!” No, the king clearly associated Daniel with the consistent, daily reputation that he had built as a man of prayer and godly wisdom who served Jehovah, God of the Israelites.
Daniel also didn’t use his prestigious title of “advisor to the king” to convince the king or the other schemers of his innocence. He had spent time with God praying three times a day in the privacy of his own home instead of flaunting his accolades or power before the other advisors and royal court. He had proven his greatest devotion to God in the secret times of prayer with God alone. And when the great hour of testing came in the lions’ den, Daniel was saved not because of his connection with the king, a polished resume, or a great career title; he was saved because of his connection and intimate relationship with God.
I have been reminded this week that my success in life is not based upon my resume, my career titles, or even the many people I may know who are “successful” in this world; my true success and overcoming victory in the midst of hardship is based on one thing—my title with God. Does God call me His servant? Do others around me know me as a servant of the living God?
When both hardships and victories come, there is only one title that will give an everlasting impression to people around us: “servant of the living God”.
