“But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.”
(Philippians 2:17)

Paul wrote that from prison. Not from a green room backstage. Not from a conference pulpit. From chains.

And yet, he was overflowing with joy.

He didn’t say, “God has honoured me by putting me in Caesar’s palace.”
He didn’t post a selfie with the Roman guard saying, “Doors are opening!”
He said, “I’m being poured out… and I rejoice.”

Where Are We Placing Our Worth?

I recently heard a friend—someone who’s passionate about Jesus and has a heart for the gospel—say after preaching at a big church,

“God honoured me today.”

I get the sentiment. I’ve said that kind of thing too. It’s not wrong to celebrate opportunities. But here’s the question that keeps bothering me:

Why are we measuring God’s honour by the size of the stage?

Why is preaching at a mega church seen as a higher honour than preaching on a sidewalk, or in a prison, or to two teenagers in a youth group?

Where did this scoreboard come from?

The Problem with That Mindset

It’s subtle, but it’s dangerous. Here’s why:

1. It devalues the unseen.

What about the evangelist who’s faithfully preaching in remote villages?
What about the person ministering to addicts in alleyways, without lights or livestreams?
Is that not honourable? Is God not present there?

We have to stop acting like big stages = big approval.
Because that’s not how Jesus measured things.

2. It shifts the focus.

The point of preaching isn’t to gain honour.
It’s to share the love of Jesus, so people might be saved.

But when our value gets tied to where we preach—or who notices—we start preaching for applause, not transformation.
We start aiming for the spotlight instead of hearts.

Paul Called It a “Drink Offering”

Paul literally saw himself as being poured out—wasted, in a sense—for the sake of others.

He describes ministry as “the sacrifice and service of your faith.”

That word “service” (Greek: leitourgia) means public service—work done for others, representing God.

It’s where we get the word liturgy today.
Ministry was never about self-expression. It was about self-emptying.

John 12:42–43 — Seeking the Wrong Glory

There’s a haunting passage in John:

“…many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.”

Wow. They believed… but stayed silent.

Why?

Because they still cared more about platform than purpose.

That verse is a warning for us. We can be “in ministry” but living for man’s glory. And it will choke our faith.

Final Thought

Paul didn’t say,

“I was dishonoured before, but now God has honoured me in the same place.”

No.

He didn’t need a reversal of stage status to feel validated.
His identity was secure in Christ.
He knew who he was—whether in chains or in a synagogue.

Let’s stop measuring ourselves by stages, platforms, and follower counts.

Let’s be poured out in whatever place God puts us—whether that’s a prison or a pulpit—and rejoice.

Because the highest honour isn’t being seen by man.
It’s being faithful before God.