Self-branding is the hot buzzword for career builders, but it’s an obsolete term for faith walkers.
I love breakfast. It doesn’t matter whether you serve ham and eggs with OJ or a steaming stack of flapjacks hot off the griddle. Invite me over for breakfast, and you’ll never be a stranger in my home.
Out here in Silicon Valley, California, though, there’s a special breakfast joint called Buck’s of Woodside. They’ve made a name for themselves as “the” place to meet, where shiny new start-ups woo deep-pocketed venture capitalists.
By the time the coffee’s been poured and the check’s been paid, the hope is that a match has been made in high-tech heaven, and someone is on their way to the top of the ticker on Wall Street.
The ability to persuade someone to make that investment rests heavily on getting them to buy into the company’s potential.
All that means, however, is that you’ve got to go and market yourself.
Self-Branding
To make sure others notice you, there’s a hot buzzword called self-branding among today’s career builders.
Self-branding’s been around for the past decade, since management coaching guru Tom Peters wrote the seminal article, “The Brand Called You“.
There’s even a book that came out earlier this year called, “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Branding Yourself“.
You are the CEO of Me, Inc.
According to the world, whether you and I make a name for ourselves in this life depends on what we do and say to convince others of our importance.
This kind of self-promotional thinking doesn’t just happen in the workplace.
It can bleed into our spiritual identity and affect how we relate to God.
Brokering For An Identity
Although I know that God’s called me to purpose, I sometimes find myself unsure about how much I’m worth to Him.
Am I good enough to be used by God?
Does He find me valuable?
These questions pop up when I feel insecure. I’m especially vulnerable whenever my circumstances don’t match up with the plans I think God has for me.
I wonder if I’ve fallen out of favor with Him.
Even as faith walkers, we can’t underestimate how alluring the messages of personal empowerment are to our earth-bound souls.
When I evaluate my identity based on results I can see and positive circumstances, I focus more on trying to make things happen, rather than enjoying what God has for me right now.
In other words, I start looking to God as if He were the venture capitalist, the prospective buyer, who is still mulling over how much I am worth to the Kingdom.
The fear of anonymity and insignificance subtly turns my walk with Christ into a brokering for an identity.
Okay, God. If I yield in this area, does that mean I’ve gained more equity with you, now?
I move from being a child of God and a lover of His soul into a potential job candidate, seeking to get God to invest His Kingdom in me.
I become a beggar, grasping for belonging, orphaned from meaning and purpose.
The Highest Bidder
How foolish of me — when the reality is that I have already been sold to the highest bidder!
“You are not your own; you were bought with a price.”
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Moved by great love, Jesus gave Himself, totally, in exchange for me. I don’t need to prove my worth to Him.
Quite the opposite is true.
I need to exchange my strivings for God’s love to transform me.
In the absence of self-branding, I yield and God shapes my path. The more I give myself over to God’s hidden work of the heart, the more I understand and experience his favor.
A Quiet Breakfast
The world may execute transactions of power at a fancy breakfast spot, but Christ calls me to come quietly to Him each day.
No need to bring or be anything.
“He called out to them, ‘Friends, haven’t you any fish?’
‘No,’ they answered…
When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread…
Jesus to them, ‘Come and have breakfast’.” John 21:4-13
Away from the clamor, Jesus calls us friends. With bread and fish, he prepares breakfast for us.
Speaking words of love and encouragement, Jesus steadies our walk and adds confidence to our gait. His plan and purpose for us remains.
Jesus, I remember. I come.
25 Comments
First of all, I think it is so cool that you use a business analogy for your post today! See how many spiritual applications we have in business? This is such a difficult balance – trying to enjoy God’s favor in the now, rather than ‘making things happen.’ It’s a strange paradox, to be sure. How can we completely let go, and still get anything accomplished? I think the one precedes the other. By surrendering to God, understanding our complete value and worth in His loving eye, then we are free to go about our business with a calm presence . He steadies our walk, as you say. And then he invites us to breakfast!
Once again, a great post. Thanks Bonnie!
OK, so I never say anything is a coincidence. I know God orchestrates it all.
So how God-ronic that over the weekend, I just printed out this quote (I don’t have who wrote it) for a friend. And now…….my friend……this is also for you. Aim high for the Lord!!!!!!!
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
“How foolish of me — when the reality is that I have already been sold to the highest bidder!”
I love that. I love finding love and encouragement in Jesus’s teachings.
I second Camel’s comment about the analogy, which you sustain beautifully.
It always helps to be reminded that at birth the deal is sealed.
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Fabulous, Bonnie. It is sometimes hard to remember who we are supposed to be impressing. Thanks for the reminder.
I can only say amen to this, Bonnie! It’s wonderful to see that we don’t need any self-branding or accomplishments for God, we already have an identity.
I think the next step (maybe a next post?) would be to relate this to our jobs, colleagues, neighbors, etc. To the world around us.
Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Twitter by gyoung9751: Power breakfast vs. The Quiet Breakfast by @TheBonnieGray. http://bit.ly/2yG3Tv…
God the Venture Capitalist. Can you imagine? 🙂
Wow. Great post, Bonnie. I have a feeling that I’ll be mulling over this quote for the rest of the day: “When I evaluate my identity based on results I can see and positive circumstances, I focus more on trying to make things happen, rather than enjoying what God has for me right now. I start looking to God as if He were the venture capitalist, the prospective buyer, who is still mulling over how much I am worth to the Kingdom.”
You are such a fantastic writer. Thank you so much for sharing this.
For me, one of the greatest challenges in following Christ is getting over the notion that God is counting on me to change the world. Whenever this thought occurs to me, I have to remind myself that I am simply called to live like Jesus one moment at a time. And should I fail, (which I most certainly will), I suspect that there will be fish for breakfast anyway!
“I become a beggar, grasping for belonging, orphaned from meaning and purpose”
Wow! Such powerful words, Bonnie. This is a great post and amazing analogy. Puts things into perspective… thank you!
Always beauty here. *sigh* : )
He receives me and loves me as I am—my gratitude for that knows no limits. He also sees what I can be, and inspires me to stretch for it.
I’ve struggled with the whole self-promotion thing. I’ve come to terms with it by being as clear as possible (with myself and others), that it’s not about promoting me, but about promoting Him in me.
“You are the light of the world… Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
(Matthew 5:16) To Jesus be all the glory!
What thought-provoking comments. I enjoyed the sharing and your additions to this post!
@Bradley: “By surrendering to God, understanding our complete value in His loving eye, we are free to go with a calm presence.” I love this Bradley. Esp. coming from an business exec like yourself. Blessings in your everyday witness!
@Michelle: I don’t believe in coincidence as well. “God orchestrates it all.” No doubt. Thank you very much for passing on the quote. What a wonderful addition to the post.
@Heather: Me, too. Jesus always has love and encouragement ready.
@Maureen: “At birth the deal is sealed.” That is a very striking insight. At birth, huh? ..
@Ginny: Thanks, Ginny. It is hard to remember who we are to be impressing. I get snagged in it and then realize what just happened.
@Leon: Wonderful to meet you, Leon. I will take your encouragement to write a next post to do just that. Thank you! I went to your blog, but couldn’t read it. 😉 .. Blessings on your writing!
@LLBarkat: LOL… 🙂
@Rachel: Thanks, Rachel. “one of the greatest challenges in following Christ is getting over the notion that God is counting on me to change the world” – It’s a natural notion, given God is using you and you are impassioned about what He’s put on your heart. Thanks for sharing this, Rachel.
@Bridget: Thanks, Bridget.
@Anne: Promotion is not a bad thing in and of itself. If you’ve got a message, preach it sister! 🙂 .. We just have to be sensitive that our identity could be wrapped up in the promotion, rather than the message.
@Bonnie: Thanks for stopping by, I’m sorry you couldn’t read it… It’s targeted at Dutch readers. Since you’re not the first non-Dutch aspiring reader I’m currently researching the options for translation. 🙂
Nice!
Love this line “I need to exchange my strivings for God’s love to transform me.”
And there’s sweet peace in the image of Jesus inviting us to come and eat breakfast.
Thanks!
Wow, Bonnie.
Wow.
It is amazing that none of us are anonymous to Him.
Wow. That’s a lot of deep insight to ingest in one sitting. I’m feeling the mental equivalent of sitting down to an all you can eat breakfast at the I-Hop. Satisfied and full and needing to digest everything for awhile. Great post as always, Bonnie.
Wow! Love this!!! (and now I’m super hungry for breakfast foods too!!!) Great post, once again!
(and I see another Maureen (Mo) as a commenter. We’re taking over the world!!!! heheheheh (or at least your blog)
mmm, now i’m hungry for some Belgium Waffles. 🙂
It’s a humbling thought to know that God actually is interested in us, let alone thinking of HOW interested and invested He is in us. (hint: He’s VERY interested and invested in us) It’s both comforting and scary to know that he believes in us. I can grasp the concept of us believing in him. Him believing in me, when I struggle at believing in myself, leaves me metagrobolized. (That’s my word for today. Finding ways to use it in a sentence three times. Two more to go… 🙂 )
Great post as always Bonnie!
Yes you are doing Gods work, and yes you are loved deeply by Him. Do not be concerned, there is a position for all of us in His Kingdom, here on earth, to prepare you for the Eternal Kingdom.
I love the way you presented your theme.
@Leon: Great to hear, Leon!
@Janet: Welcome, Janet. Wonderful to have you here.
@Peter: Thanks, Peter.
@Helen: It is amazing. Mind-boggling. I need to believe it more and more.
@Katdish: What a nice compliment. I LOVE I-Hop. 😉
@Maureen: Yum. Another breakfast lover.
@Brett: Wow. That is a new word for me. Thanks, Brett. And yes, it is very comforting and scary to know that He believes in us. Still letting it sink in.
@Bernadette: Welcome, Bernadette! THANK you for your encouragement.
God as a venture capitalist! I love that line. Wow, how revealing. Great post.
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