Making a name for yourself at work means your credibility is enhanced, so people may actually listen when you speak up at a meeting. Making a name for yourself means people are more likely to follow you, because you\u2019re a known quantity. Making a name for yourself means you get to call some shots, versus just responding to shots someone else is calling.<\/p>\n
There are many benefits to making a name for yourself.<\/p>\n
But the Bible points to a different focus.<\/p>\n
\n
“Being known for being smart, effective, or even just easy to work with fosters promotions and the financial benefits that come with them.”<\/em><\/h3>\n
\nFoolish Tower<\/h2>\n
The clearest scriptural example of a foolhardy focus on making a name for ourselves comes from the people who decided to build the Tower of Babel. They literally used those words to justify their prideful pursuit: <\/em>\u201cThen they said, \u2018Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves\u2026\u2019\u201d (Genesis 11:4, NIV).<\/p>\nGod responded to their pride by scattering them and making them incomprehensible to one another (not unlike today\u2019s political environment).<\/p>\n
Jesus also warned about our desire to be seen and known. In the Sermon on the Mount, he said, <\/em>\u201cBe careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven\u201d (Matthew 6:1, NIV). He warned the people not to make a big deal about praying in public or giving to the poor just to be seen doing those things. He calls us to pursue authentic spiritual practices, not performative gestures done to impress others.<\/p>\n
\n“He calls us to pursue authentic spiritual practices, not performative gestures done to impress others.”<\/em><\/h3>\n
\nEmbarrassing Myself<\/h2>\n
You wouldn\u2019t think pursuit of notoriety would be an issue in retirement. I may have deluded myself that people cared what I did when I was working. But every day in retirement it\u2019s obvious that no one gives a flying french fry what I think. There are no coworkers or bosses or customers to impress these days. So I should be beyond that, right?<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, I still strive to be known, respected, and admired, even if the potential audience is no larger than the group of us riding the elevator together. I\u2019m continually chagrined by my posturing for respect, when it\u2019s clear it\u2019s not working. It\u2019s hard to pretend everyone at the Y is marveling at my physical fitness when I\u2019m wheezing on a treadmill, for instance.\u00a0 ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/renew.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/AdBook037_1080x1080-300x300.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nA Much Smaller, but Much Bigger, Audience<\/h2>\n
As I have sought to move on from human approval in this season of life, I was excited to read R. T. Kendall\u2019s book, \u201cAn Audience of One.\u201d Kendall writes how seductive it is to seek the world\u2019s validation for our own esteem. He has a chapter on our desire for vindication, which he describes as being absolved from blame or false accusation. I would paraphrase it, \u201cbeing right and making sure everyone knows it.\u201d<\/p>\n
If we are working for an audience of one, we need to pursue God\u2019s glory, not our own. Kendall writes:<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we pursue the glory of God, we must remember we are pursuing whatever glorifies, honors, and pleases Him. This means we must personally bow out entirely and respect what He is pleased to do\u2026 We need to be willing to affirm His right to pass us by and bless those He chooses to bless\u2014even when that blessing does not include what we hoped for.\u201d<\/p>\n
That all makes sense. God is in control, his opinion is the only one that matters, and he loves me more than anyone else could. So, his validation should be enough. But yet, I can\u2019t help but trying to impress anyone within view. Why don\u2019t I act like God is enough for me?<\/p>\n
\n“Why don\u2019t I act like God is enough for me?”<\/em><\/h3>\n
\nI added a new layer to this when I read a passage from the book Thy Will Be Done<\/em>,\u201d by Andrew Murray, commenting on the description of David in 1 Samuel 13:14 (KJV): \u201c\u2026the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people\u2026\u201d<\/p>\nMurray wrote, \u201cA man after Mine own heart: that speaks of the deep unseen mystery of the pleasure a man can give to God in heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n
That resonated with me. Do you ever consider that what we say or do can delight God? Maybe I haven\u2019t been motivated by God\u2019s validation because I\u2019ve failed to consider how rewarding it is to delight the creator of the universe. What could be more powerful than that?<\/p>\n
So, one of my priorities in retirement is weaning myself off the approval of men, and stopping to reflect on how encouraging, rewarding, and positive it is to know God is delighted with me.<\/p>\n
Even when I am face-planting.<\/p>\n
\nSources:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nR. T. Kendall, For an Audience of One: Seek the Praise That Comes From God Alone <\/em>(Lake Mary: Charisma House, 2020).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
God responded to their pride by scattering them and making them incomprehensible to one another (not unlike today\u2019s political environment).<\/p>\n
Jesus also warned about our desire to be seen and known. In the Sermon on the Mount, he said, <\/em>\u201cBe careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven\u201d (Matthew 6:1, NIV). He warned the people not to make a big deal about praying in public or giving to the poor just to be seen doing those things. He calls us to pursue authentic spiritual practices, not performative gestures done to impress others.<\/p>\n You wouldn\u2019t think pursuit of notoriety would be an issue in retirement. I may have deluded myself that people cared what I did when I was working. But every day in retirement it\u2019s obvious that no one gives a flying french fry what I think. There are no coworkers or bosses or customers to impress these days. So I should be beyond that, right?<\/p>\n Unfortunately, I still strive to be known, respected, and admired, even if the potential audience is no larger than the group of us riding the elevator together. I\u2019m continually chagrined by my posturing for respect, when it\u2019s clear it\u2019s not working. It\u2019s hard to pretend everyone at the Y is marveling at my physical fitness when I\u2019m wheezing on a treadmill, for instance.\u00a0 As I have sought to move on from human approval in this season of life, I was excited to read R. T. Kendall\u2019s book, \u201cAn Audience of One.\u201d Kendall writes how seductive it is to seek the world\u2019s validation for our own esteem. He has a chapter on our desire for vindication, which he describes as being absolved from blame or false accusation. I would paraphrase it, \u201cbeing right and making sure everyone knows it.\u201d<\/p>\n If we are working for an audience of one, we need to pursue God\u2019s glory, not our own. Kendall writes:<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we pursue the glory of God, we must remember we are pursuing whatever glorifies, honors, and pleases Him. This means we must personally bow out entirely and respect what He is pleased to do\u2026 We need to be willing to affirm His right to pass us by and bless those He chooses to bless\u2014even when that blessing does not include what we hoped for.\u201d<\/p>\n That all makes sense. God is in control, his opinion is the only one that matters, and he loves me more than anyone else could. So, his validation should be enough. But yet, I can\u2019t help but trying to impress anyone within view. Why don\u2019t I act like God is enough for me?<\/p>\n I added a new layer to this when I read a passage from the book Thy Will Be Done<\/em>,\u201d by Andrew Murray, commenting on the description of David in 1 Samuel 13:14 (KJV): \u201c\u2026the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Murray wrote, \u201cA man after Mine own heart: that speaks of the deep unseen mystery of the pleasure a man can give to God in heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n That resonated with me. Do you ever consider that what we say or do can delight God? Maybe I haven\u2019t been motivated by God\u2019s validation because I\u2019ve failed to consider how rewarding it is to delight the creator of the universe. What could be more powerful than that?<\/p>\n So, one of my priorities in retirement is weaning myself off the approval of men, and stopping to reflect on how encouraging, rewarding, and positive it is to know God is delighted with me.<\/p>\n Even when I am face-planting.<\/p>\n Sources:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n R. T. Kendall, For an Audience of One: Seek the Praise That Comes From God Alone <\/em>(Lake Mary: Charisma House, 2020).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\n“He calls us to pursue authentic spiritual practices, not performative gestures done to impress others.”<\/em><\/h3>\n
\nEmbarrassing Myself<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nA Much Smaller, but Much Bigger, Audience<\/h2>\n
\n“Why don\u2019t I act like God is enough for me?”<\/em><\/h3>\n
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