What was the motivation for the people to build the Tower of Babel on the plain of Shinar? “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves.”
Making a name for yourself is a big theme in our modern culture. We say things like “I want to make a dent in the universe” and “I want to make society work as it should” and “I want to do great things and be famous” and “I want to be a star.” We crave the freedom to do what I want, and to get glory.
Many of us have spent years aching for this.
God has a different approach for us, which allows us to flourish in cooperation with Him. In His universe (and be clear, it’s His universe), God will not share his glory with others (Isaiah 42:8). He is the light at best we reflect that light. It’s His power working through us that both sustains us and can change the world:
He set us free to serve others out of our fellowship with Him. “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17) We experience the deepest joy we long for when we serve out of this freedom.
Instead of rescuing ourselves we surrender to being rescued. “Apart from me you can do nothing,” Jesus said. (John 15:5)
And what about our name? Instead of building towers to make a name for ourselves, we take on our adopted name as members of the household of God. We look forward to our citizenship in the new heavens and new earth: “I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name.” (Revelation 3:12)
Stop wearying yourself with creating a name for yourself.
