serving opportunties

This past weekend while talking with some young leaders at the Oregon Convention, I was asked "How did you become a national speaker?" I started laughing. I told them I'm a church planting pastor that gets a few invitations now and then to travel and speak. I am always humbled by any invitation to come and minister. But I also shared how tonight I may be on stage in front of a big crowd, but when I go home, there are times I will be cleaning the toilets in our church. I shared that in God's eyes it's all about serving. How, it's more of a heart issue with God than anything else. In man's eyes (and sometimes pastors eyes) we see that the bigger the ministry, venue or paycheck, the bigger the success. But we have got it all wrong. "If you want to be great in God's Kingdom, learn to be the servant of all." Honestly, every time I hop on a plane or get in my car to go speak, I am totally humbled and honored that God would trust me. So no matter how, where or what it looks like, my allegiance is to Christ and I am compelled to serve in anyway HE sees fit.