I feel it. You probably do as well. Regardless of where we are called to lead, we want our efforts to be fruitful; to make a difference. So far, so good. But there is something we smuggle into our service: We want it to set us apart. Distinction, in a fallen world, is the doorway to ascent, gaining followership, delivering ROI. Fresh or unique thinking is a pathway to honor and acclaim. Deep down we know it’s the hinge swinging speaking invitations, board roles or book deals in our direction.
Understandable? Certainly. But it also reveals a soul catechized more by worldly recognition. Graduation ceremonies are a great example. Most speakers charge young graduates to go out, seize the day, and make a name for themselves. The world is wide-open with opportunity to make a difference and make a name. The message is: Success and satisfaction come through achievement in your field and approval among your peers.
For leadership longevity, however, we need wiser words.
What is the Love of “Distinction”?
In the spring of 1814, Timothy Dwight (a grandson of Jonathan Edwards and the president of Yale College) gave the baccalaureate address to Yale’s graduating class of future leaders. This wasn’t the typical “your life is limited only by your dreams” graduation speech. Dwight chose this key moment in the lives of these graduates to sound a warning “On the Love of Distinction.”
He wisely pointed out that the desire for distinction was a vice, not a virtue. It portrayed it as a snare on the path of true success. “Wickedness,” he said, “can in no other form become more intense, nor its plans more vast, nor its obstinacy more enduring, nor its destruction more extensive, or more dreadful” than in the love of distinction.
Dwight’s warning has enduring relevance. The love of distinction appeals to us all, whether our vocation is full-time parenting, or the pastorate, whether we’re gunning for tenure or the C suite. It promises that you’ll stand out in the minds of people and be revered for your skill and ability. It declares that joy and fulfillment awaits the man or woman who can achieve the coveted prize: personal distinction.
Do You Love Distinction?
However, like every good lie containing a morsel of truth, the love of distinction doesn’t have the payoff it promises. Dwight continued, “But among all the passions which mislead, endanger, and harass the mind, none is more hostile to its peace, none more blind, none more delirious than the love of distinction.”
At its core, the love of distinction rarely has a project, purpose, or person in mind beyond self. The most important thing isn’t really the success of a business or a great endeavor. I see this danger as I finish my next book project. My motives often slide from glorifying God to leaving a large impression about me. Maybe you have some project or role right now that offers the same temptation. The most important thing is that we be remembered for being the best, for being first. Our roles are no longer service, but they become the platform for our dazzling performance.
Drawing on the examples of Adam’s fall from grace and Satan being tossed from heaven, Dwight observed,“Selfishness is in its nature little and base. But no passion and no pursuits are more absolutely selfish than the love of distinction. One’s self is here the sole object; and in this object all the labors, pursuits, and wishes terminate” (Timothy Dwight, “Sermon XXVII: On the Love of Distinction,” in Sermons, vol. 1 [Edinburgh: Waugh & Innes, 1828], 521–29).
This desire for distinction, for renown, is deceptively small-minded. It seeks to center the world on one fragile individual. In the end, though some may achieve their 15 minutes of fame, all legacies shrivel into dust, forgotten and swept aside by the broom of time.
If we set your desires on having a lasting impact, one that receives the commendation of the Self-Emptying Savior, we must lay aside the longing for lasting distinction. We must rather heed the wise words of Timothy Dwight. Set your sights on faithfulness, not fame. Small and faithful work in obscurity is the kind that will last for eternity.
Today’s Tenacious Question
Ask yourself honestly, “Will I be content if my leadership achievements are not often celebrated by public commendation or head-turning achievement?” What kind of distinction do you need to be truly satisfied in God?
Prayer
Lord, let me be content with the talents which you have given me. Grant that I will be faithful with them, however few, all the days of my life, seeking only your commendation for a job well done.
