Clout or the Cross: Choosing Humility in a Culture of Performance

We live in a world that rewards visibility. From selfies while serving to hashtags about generosity, it’s

easy to center ourselves even in moments meant to center God. The tension is real: are we following

Jesus, or are we following trends?

In Philippians 2:3–8, Paul calls the church in Philippi to a radical way of living: “Do nothing from selfish

ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves... Let the same mind be in

you that was in Christ Jesus, who... emptied himself, taking the form of a servant.”

Paul is speaking to a culture obsessed with honor and status. In Philippi, citizenship was tied to

privilege, hierarchy, and allegiance to empire. Against that backdrop, Paul lifts up Jesus—the One who had every right to grasp at glory, yet chose surrender instead.

The way of Christ is not clout-chasing; it’s cross-carrying.

Clout Seeks Status, the Cross Seeks Surrender

Self-promotion is celebrated everywhere, but Paul invites us to model a different mindset—one that chooses presence over platform and service over spotlight. What would it look like this week to celebrate someone else’s win, uplift another voice, or model humility to your children?

Clout Performs, the Cross Serves

Jesus says in Matthew 6:3, 'When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.' In other words, bless in secret. True service doesn’t crave applause—it restores lives. As my friend Breauna Dorelus puts it: 'Real service is being willing to be unseen because its goal is not recognition but restoration.' Imagine how countercultural this is. In a society that praises performance, Jesus calls us to anonymous acts of love—quiet faithfulness that points people to Him instead of us.

Clout Elevates Self, the Cross Empties Self

Philippians 2 tells us that Jesus 'emptied himself.' This is the doctrine of kenosis: God choosing to lay aside divine privilege for the sake of love. For the Philippians, this was shocking. For us, it’s still challenging.

The Christian life isn’t flashy—it’s faithful. The way up is down.

Living It Out

At Rapha, we believe Christianity isn’t about being 'cool'—it’s about being Christlike. That means checking our motives, resisting cultural pressure, and choosing service over status. It means asking hard questions:

- Where am I chasing clout instead of carrying the cross?

- Am I more concerned with being seen than with being faithful?

The challenge is simple but not easy: pick one person to serve in secret this week.

No post.

No platform.

No credit.

Just love.

Because when we go low, Jesus shines through us.