I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”Galatians 2:20-21 (NIV)
Personal Struggle: There is a quiet, exhausting battle that happens right after I press publish, schedule the retreat, or write the book/blog draft. It happens in the stillness of the room – the whisper begins: Is this enough? Am I enough?
We are all leaders in some capacity, serving God with our gifts. If we are honest, we probably know this tension all too well. We live in a culture—and frankly, a Christian ministry environment—that constantly measures calling by visibility. The world often tells me if I don’t have a slick website, a packed calendar with three workshops scheduled annually, and a rapidly expanding follower count, I am not truly “all in.” What is your hustle struggle?
So we wrestle. We question our abilities. We look at other leaders and instantly make human comparisons, deflating our own humble efforts before they even have a chance to breathe. And when it comes to sharing our work—promoting the blog post, the study, testimony, or the book—we freeze. We wonder: How do I share this so the people who need it can find it, without looking self-absorbed? Where is the line between holy stewardship and selfish ambition? How bold am I allowed to be without losing my humility?
We want, more than anything, for God to receive every ounce of glory. Yet, we end up paralyzed between the world’s demand to hustle and our fear of stepping into the spotlight.
Recently, as walking through Galatians 2:11-21, Paul’s words hit me with fresh, piercing clarity. Paul publicly confronts Peter. Peter—a pillar of the early church—had begun pulling away from eating with Gentile believers out of fear of what others would think. He allowed the pressure of human opinion and religious expectations to dictate his behavior, slipping back into a performance-based mentality. Paul called it what it was: hypocrisy that was out of step with the truth of the gospel.
How often do we do the exact same thing in our calling? We let the expectations of the platform party dictate our worth and distort our mission. We fall into the trap of believing that our work is only valid if it yields visible, measurable success.
Right after confronting Peter, Paul lays down the foundational truth that sets us free: “We know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ…” (Galatians 2:16)
Translate that into the daily grind of ministry and as a leader for God: You are not justified by the size of your platform, the number of retreats on your calendar, or the sales of your book. Your worth as a servant of God was settled at the cross. You do not have to earn God’s acceptance through relentless human effort, nor do you need to prove your calling by meeting the world’s standard of success.
Paul goes on to say: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (Galatians 2:20-21)
When we are crucified with Christ, it means two crucial things:
1. We crucify the need for human approval. We lay down the pride that craves applause, but we also lay down the insecurity that shrinks back in fear. Insecurity feels like humility, but it is often just self-focus in disguise—worrying so much about how we will be perceived that we hide the message God gave us to share.
2. We crucify the pressure to produce in our own strength. When we try to force open doors, build an empire, or measure our obedience by worldly metrics, we are essentially trying to justify our work through works of the law. We set aside grace and act as though the outcome depends entirely on our own hustle rather than God’s power.
So what does this mean when it’s time to carry out the work of the Lord: be a mentor, share the book, invite people to the study, or post the article? It means promotion ceases to be about self-hustle and becomes an act of simple stewardship.
If God gave you a word, a study, a job, or a story meant to encourage someone’s soul, sharing it boldly isn’t arrogant—it is obedient. You aren’t asking for applause; you are setting a table for people to feast on God’s truth. Your job is simply to hold out the bread; it is God’s job to bring the hungry to the table. Whether He brings five people or five thousand, the faithfulness required of you remains identical.
You don’t need to fit into a cookie-cutter mold of what a successful ministry leader looks like. You don’t need to apologize for starting small, nor do you need to feel guilty for speaking boldly about what God has done.
When we rest in Galatians 2:20, the burden falls off our shoulders. It is no longer you striving to build something great to prove your worth. It is Christ living through you, loving people through your obedience, and using your weak, imperfect efforts for His eternal glory.
To my fellow weary brothers and sisters: let’s stop setting aside grace. Let’s do our work with excellence, share it with clear, unashamed stewardship, and leave the size of the room entirely in God’s hands. His grace is enough. And in Him, so are you.
Leave a comment