There’s a sweet elderly woman in my church who occasionally calls me “Reverend Shuff.” She gets my last name right most of the time, but once in awhile she calls me by the name of some old friends of hers: “Shuff” instead of “Huff.”
And I’ve never once corrected her.
I know it’s not a big deal, but to correct her would be (in my mind) to point out a mistake when it really wasn’t necessary. She knows I love her in the Lord. She knows I’ll pray for her and her family every time she gives me a call. She knows I’ll check on her when the weather’s bad, or just occasionally when I haven’t seen her for a few weeks.
And I know that she loves me. She encourages me, and has told her friends about the young pastor at her church who is just so nice. So what if she gets my name wrong once in awhile?
Here’s my point: sometimes we get so wrapped up in ourselves that we miss the bigger picture. What matters is that this widow is getting cared for, and that she knows she can call on her pastor and church anytime she has a need, and that we’ll minister to her in the name of Christ. I am nobody, Christ is everything.
So I’ll gladly be Reverend Shuff from time to time, because it further illustrates and reminds me that my ministry is not about me. It’s about God, and God should receive all the glory.