Last
week my husband and I had the privilege of attending our first Southern Baptist
Convention Annual Meeting. We have only attended state conventions in the past. Though both of us were raised in Christian
homes, neither of us entered Southern Baptist life until we were teenagers. Our parents were members of other denominations. The only thing I knew about Southern Baptists
was that they didn’t dance and hated Disney.
I'm happy my initial knowledge of the SBC was lacking. Both of our families became as active in Southern Baptist life as they
had been in their previous church traditions.
My husband went on to graduate from The Southern Baptist Theological
Seminary. He has ministered in several
Southern Baptist churches. We have been
proud to be South Carolina Baptists, Kentucky Baptists, and now Georgia
Baptists. We are ardent supporters of
the Cooperative Program. I am thankful
for the opportunity to partner with other churches around the country as we
pursue evangelism, discipleship, and church planting for the glory of God. Even as I enjoy fellowship with friends and
family of other like-minded denominations, I am proud to be Southern
Baptist. I firmly believe that we can
accomplish more together than we ever could apart.
It was
such a joy to hear the reports from the various SBC entities, to hear the
amazing preaching, to join in the powerful worship, and to be led in prayer for
the nations and believers currently being persecuted for their faith around the
world. Right about now, I would love to
name-drop all of the spiritual heroes and celebrities that I saw, heard, talked
to, or shook hands with last week. My
excitement for the convention was like that of 14- year-old girl at a rock
concert. Justin Bieber could have walked
in the room and I would have walked the other direction. But put me near (insert well-known Christian
here) and I might as well have had a foam finger and glitter on my face. As I encountered my own pride last week while
meeting so many famous church leaders, I was reminded that all the “somebodies”
I was excited to see cannot compare with the One we all serve. I met a missionary couple who have devoted
their lives to the persecuted church. As
we shared tears over their sorrows and successes, we reminded each other that
we are nobodies. The strong leaders,
pastors, and authors we were honored to see at SBC 2014 are just normal people,
sinners saved by God’s grace, equal at the foot of the cross. As we heard mission reports, I was reminded
that gospel conversations that happen around the country and the world with
faithful preachers, Sunday school teachers, and laypeople make just as much, or
more, of a difference in multiple generations of Christian lives than one
celebrity in the Twittersphere. We are
nothing if we are not making something out of God’s glory for His name’s
sake.
At the
end of the day, the list of who I met, how many pictures I took, or books I got
signed won’t do anything for my reputation.
Prayerfully, the people in Baltimore, Washington, and on the flight home
will remember the Christian who was kind to them and is praying for them. When our Savior walked this earth, He didn’t
boast of the Pharisees and Roman leaders He knew. The only name Jesus routinely dropped was
that of His heavenly Father and ours. At
the end of my life, no one will care how much I hobnobbed or with whom. They will only see that I was faithful to my
Jesus, to my family, and to my local church.
I’m thankful to be Southern Baptist.
I’m even more thankful to be a citizen of heaven.
Copyright June 21, 2014 *thewifeoflee*
