Why am I still doing this?

“Why are you still doing this?” is one of the many questions I often receive as I continue the work I do. People go on to say that there are hundreds of other opportunities that offer better pay and greater chances of promotion. When I consider their views, they are not wrong. In fact, they present better options for what we commonly call “life.” After all, who doesn’t desire a higher salary and a more prominent position?

 

When I look at all those opportunities from a worldly perspective, they do seem beautiful and mesmerizing. Yet, life is far more than what the world offers. If we live solely for what the world provides, we risk missing out on the greater purpose and calling set before us.

 

Having grown up with a sense of hopelessness and no clear future, I shared the belief with others that the world had nothing to offer me. From teachers who called me “stupid” just because I rewrote notes (due to poor handwriting), to being labelled a failure for the same reason, I had no reason to believe I had a future. I never expected teachers to hold such views about their students. They were supposed to encourage and motivate, not demean. They failed as motivators—but their failure taught me not to be like them, and never to be defined or controlled by such judgments.

 

We live in a world where we slander more than we praise, judge more than we love, assume more than we learn, and speak more than we listen. In such a world, those with low status or perceived weakness often have no space to thrive. Despite their potential, they are overlooked, sidelined, and taken for granted—reduced by the assumptions of society.

 

This depth of judgment even seeps into the Christian community. Too often, we undermine God’s chosen people based on superficial weakness we assume in them, without ever recognizing their true potential. I have overheard Christian ministers labelling others “incapable” or “unworthy” simply because they disagreed with them—completely unaware of the reality of the person concerned. Our assumptions often get in the way of the work God is doing in people’s lives.

 

When I look back at how far I’ve come, I find no reason to stop doing what I do just because of someone else’s opinion. What people say or think does not define who I am, nor does it change what God can do through me. If I had allowed their opinions to define my journey, I would never be doing what I am doing today.

 

I have always wanted to serve God, but I never felt qualified, haunted by the weaknesses I thought disqualified me. But God knew exactly why He convicted me—because He could trust me. My encounter with God, through godly friends who accepted my flaws and limitations, became the starting point. Through fellowships and Bible studies during my college days, my faith found its footing.

 

A quiet fellow with few friends, rarely recognized and hardly noticed, found acceptance in a group of people who truly loved God and His Word. Who would have imagined that someone like me could be welcomed by people of confidence, wisdom, and wide social circles? But God knew what He was doing.

 

In those moments of confusion, when I had no confidence, no friends, and no fellowship—God chose this unwanted fellow. Through the love and acceptance of those friends and fellowships, a sense of hope was restored to a shy and timid soul.

 

Those friends saw something different. They recognized the hand of God at work in me. What others could not see, they did—because they viewed through the lens of God’s plan. They did not see me through the eyes of the world. Had they done so, there would have been no reason to accept me, because the world offers no hope in people like me.

 

There are many people whom God uses powerfully—not because of what the world sees in them, but because of His love and sovereignty. The world may see weakness; my friends saw potential; and God saw someone He deeply loves.

 

That’s why I see no reason to stop loving those whom the world deems unlovable; to nurture those the world neglects; to accept those the world rejects; to live for those no one lives for. And for all of this—God is the reason.

 

When people ask if I get paid well for what I do, I feel a deep sense of satisfaction; not because of what the world defines as “good pay,” but because of what God is doing in the lives of others. If we only sought salaries and privileges, this world would lose its meaning. There’s far greater joy in seeing people find hope and encouragement than in receiving what the world says we “deserve.”

 

There are so many people seeking hope beyond what the world offers, yet we get distracted, chasing our own “worth”—forgetting that our true worth is often found in serving those who are lost, confused, and rejected. We must be found worthy of the Gospel that brings life and hope to these very people.

 

The world may not see what you do. Many Christian leaders might not either. But you must still do what you are called to do, regardless of what people think of you. What matters isn’t people’s opinions—but how your life impacts those walking in darkness.

 

We don’t have time to seek approval from people. We have to live out our calling—to be the light in the darkness, to let our light shine (Mt. 5:16)

 

I have been called “stupid” and “a failure” by people who didn’t know the God of the Bible—the God of the universe. They couldn’t see what God could do through those the world calls “weak.”

 

Look at the biblical figures: Moses—a stutterer. Joseph—sold into slavery. Esther—an orphan. Rahab—a prostitute. Gideon—the least in his household. All seen as “unworthy” by human standards yet powerfully used by God. For man looks at outward appearance, but God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).

 

If you had to choose between being a light in the darkness and being “successful” in the eyes of man, what would you choose? If God called you to serve in His kingdom, would you still settle for a place the world labels as “success”?

 

We must remember: no one is perfect or inherently good. Only God is good. We are all broken people, trying to lift each other up by the strength God provides through Jesus Christ (Phil 4:13; Is 41:10).

 

We are just beggars showing other beggars where to find bread (D T Niles). But in doing so, we are all filled and lifted. We all find the Bread of Life. I have never seen anyone grow weak by lifting the weak. Instead, they go from strength to strength.

 

We rise by lifting others.

 

As people of God, let us continue to strive to love, accept, and see others through the lens of God. Let us not judge based on our own opinions or limited perspectives but instead recognize the true potential that God has placed in each person. Through His eyes, we can see those whom the world overlooks—people He can use to multiply His work, fulfil His purpose, and be a witness of His light in the darkness.