Important person vs. Important work

Would you rather be an important person or do important work? This is the question I was faced with this week. If I remember correctly, it came from Mark Batterson and I spent some time really thinking through it. Initially, I reasoned that they go together—it’s hard to do one without doing the other. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that is not the case. This world is full of people doing important work who will never be celebrated publicly. On the flip side, the world is also full of important people who do almost nothing of real importance. I had to wrestle with my answer to the question for a bit. What about you? Honestly, would you rather be an important person or do important work?

Like many of you, there is a part of me that wants people to notice me. I want to be known. I’ve spent a great deal of time in my life trying to be that guy. You know, the one everyone likes and wants to be around. I thought that was what’s important. God has shown me a lot, and a part of me still feels that way, but now more than anything I want to do things of importance. You see, important work effects people, begins movements, and changes lives; its effects are lasting. Important people, on the other hand, die. It sounds rough, but it’s true.

So this week as I studied about Barzillai, I saw a man more concerned about doing something important than being someone important. He used the resources God had blessed him with to take care of King David. We see in 2 Samuel 19 that once David was ready to cross the Jordan and return home, he offered Barzillai the retirement of all retirements. David was willing to open his house and allow Barzillai to live the rest of his life eating at the king’s table. This means that Barzillai would never have to worry about anything again. People would know who he was. Yet he turned down David’s request and chose instead to return to his own home and finish off his days as a normal guy. Later on near King David’s death, one of his final requests was for his son Solomon to find and bless the sons of Barzillai. The way Barzillai lived created an opportunity for his children to be blessed even after he was gone.

Through this study, God has reminded me that serving and pursuing Him is important work. Seeing where He’s moving and joining Him is important work. Opening my eyes to the world around me and serving whenever and wherever I can is important work. Loving my little girls and my wife is important work. And I would much rather live every day doing important work than missing it and striving to be an important person. What about you? What do you think is more valuable?