Where is Your Platform?
Is Your Light Under a Basket?
Matthew 5:15 reminds us not to put our light under a basket but instead to put it on a stand and let it shine for all. And that is what these three gentlemen in the photo are doing. Each uses the platform God has provided them to share His message and invite others to live for Him.
I recently attended the conference hosted by the C-Suite for Christ, where Tim Tebow was the keynote speaker. I admit it was no big deal to me. I’m not a sports fan, and I assumed we’d hear a lot of accolades for his stellar career, but as a member committed to helping the mission of Covering the World in Christ, I knew I needed to be there.
The morning of the event, I listened to Tim’s speech to Congress asking for funding to rescue children from the darkest and most evil places in our world. I was impressed with his message. He has turned his platform–his fame, if you will–into something that will not just make a difference in those kid’s lives but will ultimately save them. You can listen to the YouTube clip here.
I admit that helped heighten my excitement, hoping he’d explain more about his efforts to save those who are victims of trafficking at our conference. Instead, he spent his time encouraging the attendees to find and use their platforms by saying yes to the calling God has placed on their lives.
A Platform that Makes a Difference
As Tim spoke, I thanked God for the opportunity to listen to this man who took the platform God gave him and turned it into good. Not the kind of good that gets him on the front page of the news, but the kind that makes a difference in the world. (Listen to the podcast with his speech here.)
I loved how he stressed that when our time is up, we need to enter heaven tired instead of well-rested—tired not from striving and seeking status for ourselves but from helping others know and love Jesus.
It’s not a coincidence that I heard that message within days of declaring that I want to help others as they near retirement. Instead of retiring to a life of comfort on the beach or in the mountains like the world tells us we should, to fulfill our purpose so we can finish well and leave a lasting legacy.
In her book Ripple Effects, Tim’s mother, Pam Tebow, talks about how we all have a platform, no matter how big or small, and that we can influence the people God brings into our lives from that platform.
I couldn’t agree with her more. God has a plan for each of our lives, and He places us where He can use us to further His purpose. To fulfill that purpose, we must be in tune with His will and have courage.
So, where is your platform?
- Is it among your colleagues where your actions and words can reflect Christ’s love?
- Is it within your family where you can be a beacon of hope and faith even if you don’t always agree?
- Is it in your community where you have the opportunity to make a positive impact?
- Is it on social media where you can speak truth in love?
Whether it is sitting with a sick friend or elderly parent, teaching Sunday School or a Bible Study, playing with grandchildren, leading a team of professionals, or using your skills as a community leader, know God has a purpose for you right where you are. He wastes nothing and can use even the smallest gestures to bring about His kingdom.
Wherever God has you today, He has a purpose or lesson for you to learn right there. So, look for opportunities, watch for the lessons, and then ask Him how He can use you to shine the light so others will see Jesus through you.
If you listen to Tim Tebow’s talk, you know he’s right; we need to do more than speak about the evil in this world; we have to act against it.
Are You Using Your Platform?
Founder of C-Suite for Christ, Paul M. Neuberger, has a mission I fully support: Covering the World in Christ. I met all three of these gentlemen in the photo above at the annual event in Wisconsin two weeks ago and was blessed to be there with hundreds of other believers whose mission is the same.
I’m honored to be a member of the association’s speaker’s bureau and look forward to the opportunity to learn and grow from the others who have joined. Not all members are speakers, but all members have a platform that they are or intend to use to bring God glory and show others how they can, too.
As children, we sing the words to the song, “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.”
It seemed easier back when our cares were small. But in today’s world, it can feel like the darkness is overpowering the light, which is why we need to be wary of hiding our light under a basket. God asks us to shine our light–to show His love even in the world’s darkest corners.
It begs two questions. First, where is your platform? And are you using it to shine not your light but His into the space He has chosen for you?