“She’s just a woman hidden in the church.”
“She has no big platform, no national visibility.”
“She just helps the women in her church and community understand the truth of God’s Word and how to apply it in their real-life situations.”1
Do these words spoken by Erin Davis and Dannah Gresh about their mentor, Tippy Duncan, resonate with you?
- Maybe your mind immediately flits to a woman who has done the same in your life.
- Maybe a woman you’ve read about or admired from afar comes to mind.
- Maybe you thought to yourself, That is what I want to do. That is the kind of woman I want to be.
You can have an impact on the next generation of women, and you don’t need a big platform to do it.
Don’t Make a Name for Yourself
We live in a culture captivated by the idea of “making a name for yourself.” From pop culture celebrities to Christian influencers, the world around us seems to say that in order to make any real difference you first need to have a large sphere of influence and a certain number of followers. And your name on the cover of a book doesn’t hurt.
This is not the path to significance that Jesus taught. Your impact for Christ’s kingdom is not measured by the number of people that know about you, the number of books you’ve written, or the size of your ministry. While there is nothing wrong with having big ambitions to do great things for the Lord, we often need to remind ourselves that fame and fruitfulness are not the same thing. If you want to impact the next generation, simply be faithful to Jesus and steward well what the Lord has given you.
Typically when we think of stewardship, we think of the things we own, and rightfully so. The money we make, the houses or apartments that we live in, the cars we drive, and everything else that God has blessed us with are things that we are called to use for His honor and glory.
Invite college students over for a home-cooked meal. Drive an older member of your church to an appointment. Donate financially to help a young woman go on a mission trip. These are all ways that we can impact others through stewardship, but don’t limit your view of faithful stewardship to just things. The Lord gives each of us opportunities that we can steward as well.
Think of your local church. What opportunities has the Lord given you to serve there? Do you rock babies in the nursery? Do you lead a small ladies’ Bible study? Have you cooked a meal for a family with a sick loved one or a new baby? Do you proofread the bulletin or help set up chairs? Each of these opportunities requires varying levels of visibility, but as you steward them faithfully you are not only loving your church well and serving Jesus, you’re also setting an example for those in your wake. Your example teaches others that no role is too small when it comes to serving Jesus.
Consider your relationships. Do you view your roles as wife, daughter, sister, mother, coworker, or friend as opportunities to be faithful to Jesus? Investing time, love, and wisdom into others can lead to a ripple effect as they, in turn, do the same.
It Will Add Up
We tend to measure things in order to gauge their value.
- That church is more successful than ours because they have X number of members.
- That woman is more qualified to be a mentor than me because she has a Bible college degree.
- That author has more impact than I ever will because they’ve written thirty-seven books.
But impact for Christ’s kingdom can’t be measured by terms as simple as “big” and “small.” Jesus taught us that “the last will be first, and the first last” (Matt. 20:16). Because our perspective is limited, we have no reliable means of tallying up our kingdom impact, but the Lord knows. And that is what is important.
You don’t have to do something “huge” by human standards. You don’t have to have your name on anything. Remain faithful to Jesus, serve your local church, steward the opportunities that the Lord has given you, and let the Lord take care of the results. Remain faithful to Jesus and it will add up.
1 “Joyful to the Finish Line,” The Deep Well with Erin Davis, Revive Our Hearts, 2024, https://www.reviveourhearts.com/podcast/the-deep-well/episode-1-joyful-to-the-finish-line/?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=roh+podcast?se=RZZDEE1AA1.
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