Being a Success for Christ Every Day – Part 2
Dear Friends, our God is not comparing our calling to someone else's calling - he is our dad, and like a good natural parent, make good plans for each and everyone of their children, so does God our Father.
Therefore, if he has called you to a platform where you publicly share God's Word and the Gospel for example through preaching, worship music filming or acting, that's wonderful. If He has called you to be the CEO or head of a department of a company, go for it. Furthermore, if He has called you to the streets to share the love of God with people, or to share the love of christ at a homeless shelter then that is also great. What ever it is do it for the glory of God.
There are those reading this that you have influence or your assignment has brought fame, and wealth then use it for His glory. But by no means is one assignment and purpose better than another in His eyes. Sometimes we confuse those who have public gifts or a platform to be more important than those who do not. That is something all of us have to be mindful of in this day and age where everything is on social media put on for the world to see.
I'm reminded of the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14–30 where the servants were each given different amounts from their master. One received one talent, another two, and another five. Yet all the master wanted was for each of them to faithfully steward what they had been given. The one who failed to do so was seriously rebuked.
Let's look at the end of the parable:
"He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. So I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.' But his master answered him, 'You wicked and lazy servant!... Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.'
Therefore, I want to speak to you reading this; perhaps you think what you have isn't valuable enough for God to use. Maybe you think your gift is too small, or you compare it to someone else's and begin to think less of yourself. Before long, comparison paralyses you, or bitterness comes in and some even have contempt for your assignment and purpose and you end up not doing what God desires you to do.
In other words, you disobey God in what He has asked you to do, and you stop stewarding well what He has already placed in your hands meaning that your gifts and talents or assignment bear no fruit. In my opinion sometimes God uses the same people over and over again—not because they are more gifted than everyone else, but because they are willing. They simply keep saying yes to Jesus.
Many of us are not being held back by the Lord; we are holding ourselves back because we don't see ourselves the way God sees us. We compare our success to what others are doing instead of faithfully walking in what God has asked us to do.
As we've already learned, success is following God and faithfully stewarding what He has entrusted to you. The results belong to Him, but we need to be willing to step out in faith.
Those whose assessments are seen publicly still need to cultivate a hidden life with God—doing things that are just between them and Him. Equally, those who aren't well known need to be willing to obey if God asks them to step onto a platform that brings greater visibility.
Neither is more spiritual than the other. For example, when Josh and I started our podcast, we wrestled with God over it. I was afraid no one would watch or listen and I worried that I didn't have enough followers or influence, and because we're no longer on social media.
Josh and I have become very private people over the years, so starting a podcast felt like stepping well outside our comfort zone. Nonetheless, we had to come out of that place in order to obey Jesus and as we did the Lord gave me this scripture that really encouraged me to take territory and obey and do what the Lord was asking me to do. Johsua 1:9
“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. “
But that doesn't make us any more valuable than someone whose obedience looks completely different to us. Sometimes we're so focused on the big things that we overlook the beautiful things Jesus asks us to do every single day like:
Loving Him with our thoughts, our words, and our actions.
Loving people well.
Sharing the hope of Jesus with our neighbours
Walking confidently in who we are in Christ.
These things make us a success.
These are the foundations we can so easily miss because we're chasing what culture defines as success. But I want to encourage you to keep loving God in both the ordinary and the extraordinary.
We do this do by learning to enjoy the Lord's affirmation. I know I've had to learn this myself with preaching, podcasting, blogging, and writing over the years. I've learned to go to the Lord first for His heart, His approval, and His encouragement. His "well done" matters far more to me than people's opinions because I want to make sure I'm doing what He has asked me to do.
People's feedback—even the positive feedback—can change over time. But His approval never does. He demonstrated our value through His life, His death on the cross, His burial, His resurrection, and the fact that He is alive today.
We are here for Him—to know Him, to be known by Him, and to live out His will for our lives our daily lives.
I hope this blog has encouraged you to move forward in your walk with God with confidence and hope.
Love Sarah
