By Briana Bass, Christian Romance Author, Devotional Writer & Certified Professional Coach

Expressions of faith don’t have to be flashy. Worship doesn’t need lightshows and bands and movie screens. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy that style of worship from time to time. My denomination holds Annual Conference every summer and the worship services include a band and projector. But it’s not something I want every week. This is just my personal preference. If you prefer the flashy type of worship, please enjoy it! I won’t judge you. I’m merely saying that in today’s age of megachurches and live streams, it seems like worship has to be bigger and louder or it isn’t good enough.

That’s so not true! Worship can be big and loud, but it’s okay if it’s quiet, too. The same principle applies to service and how we live out our faith. Some people walk paths of public service and big acts of devotion to the Lord. It can be really cool to witness. But that’s not the path for everyone.

I’m a quiet faith kind of woman. You need someone working behind the scenes? I’m your girl! What I bring to the table is just as valuable as what the person on stage brings. Friend, if you’re like me, your quieter approach to worship and service is equally as valid as the flashy approach.

Bigger Isn’t Always Better

The twenty-first century is all about doing everything bigger and more publicly. Pics or didn’t happen, right? Culture is intently focused on follows, likes, and subscribers. Faith is not impervious to this trend. Now, it’s not a bad thing to publicly share the Gospel (I do!). Discovering other Christians who may be going through similar trials and tribulations can help you feel less isolated and alone. There are very good reasons for faith and worship to be public. But not every moment of one’s faith journey needs to be publicly documented and shared. In fact, that’s the opposite of what Jesus tells us to do.

In Matthew 6:6, as part of His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus explains how to pray: “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly” (KJV). If you’re a quiet faith person, then this verse should be validating. When you worship God privately, when you serve others behind the scenes, when you help in a thousand tiny ways, God still sees. It doesn’t matter if other people are aware of the ways you worship and serve-Jesus knows.

God wants authentic devotion, and sometimes, when we worship publicly, we’re more focused on how it looks to other people than actually worshipping the Lord. When you worship privately you can release the burden of what it looks like to other people. Now, other people witnessing your worship can encourage them in their own worship, but it’s a fine line you must walk. Jesus must always be at the center of your worship. The goal is to glorify Him, not glorify yourself.

In the Quiet Spaces

In Luke 8:1-3, we are told of several women who followed Jesus and supported His ministry, both financially and in-kind. There is no record in the Bible of these women preaching or healing or doing anything publicly (even Mary Magdalene’s announcement of “I have seen the risen Lord” was a private revelation to the disciples). It is possible the women had a more public-facing role that is simply not recorded, but if we stick to what is written in the Bible, their service was much quieter than their male counterparts. In this case, as in our own lives, quieter does not mean lesser.

People with a quiet faith can still serve God, the church, and their communities in important ways. That meal you made for a grieving neighbor doesn’t have to be posted on social media, but it still meant the world to those who received it. Putting your phone away on a mission trip may allow you to focus more on the house you’re building for a family. Maybe your name is left off the weekly bulletin even though you’re volunteering in the nursery on Sunday morning. The families of the children are still grateful for your help, and you still have an opportunity to positively affect the children themselves.

Never underestimate the power of your faith. When consistent, quiet faith changes someone’s world then it changes the whole world. Every small act has big consequences. You may not be able to predict the ripple effects of your actions, but the effects are very real and wide-reaching.

Leading with Quiet Faith

Some people have a gift for or are more inclined towards loud, public faith. Some of us don’t. And yet, we can still mentor and disciple others. In fact, mentorship and discipleship generally works better when it’s private and quieter. There are roles in the Kingdom for those with loud faith and for those with quiet faith.

 Worldly recognition is not the goal. The point is to follow where Jesus leads, and sometimes that involves smaller, quieter acts of love and service. Loud or quiet, public or private, they all carry equal weight. If your faith is more reserved, if you pray inside your closet with the door closed, you are not less of a Christian or less faithful.