Names

No pictures.

I do this because I was challenged this morning. I was listening to RockHarbor's podcasts on their latest series talking about The Lord's Prayer. The first in the series was good. Hebrew was thrown into it, which always makes for a good listening. It was the second sermon that got me though.

Mike Erre was talking about the "hallowed be your name" part of the prayer. It is really good listening to it. But he shared an example in his life of when truth was spoken into him through a fellow pastor. He talked about how the pastor asked him what his greatest temptation was and Mike answered with the usual temptations people will throw out. But the pastor told him none of those answers were true. He told him that his greatest temptation was to make his own name great.

And thats when it hit.

I do the same thing. The first example that came to my head was this blog. I enjoy blogging for many reasons. One of the main reasons is I enjoy sharing my photography with the few people who read. But one of my main motivations for doing so is because I want a pat on the back. To be told I'm really good. To seem important. Blah. Blah. Blah.

I realize that this isn't the best attitude to have. Especially for someone who claims to be a follower of Jesus. I need to recognize by having that label, I am volunteering to become nothing for the sake of the Kingdom of God. Thus, by wanting people to look at me as a great whatever, I am taking glory away from the only being in the universe who deserves it. I'm putting false hope in this fading feeling.

So after having these thoughts, I posted about it. I posted without pictures on purpose. I love photography, but if it is going to take my alliegance away from the Kingdom than I need to stop. I do believe God is a creative God and he has instilled whatevers in me to take pictures and also be creative. Because of that, I am not going to quit photography.

I am now on a journey, however, to find ways to make my name less while making his name greater through it.

Find your "photography" and journey with me.