Let's be honest. It sure is nice when our efforts get noticed. And there is not a thing wrong with that. We should encourage one another. We should appreciate others and for goodness sake, let someone know when they have done a job well done. It can stir the flames in their hearts and push them to go further! But all of the words of man cannot be the determining factor in our choices and we cannot let popularity call the shots on success or failure.
In 1 Thessalonians 2, I am learning of an amazing faith that leads to obedience without the fan fare. You can find this faith in the heart and lives of Paul and Silas. These two missionaries were visiting a young church that was planted in Thessalonica. But they were not received with open arms. In their service to God and love for His truth, they were beaten. And by beaten, I mean flogged. It makes my belly hurt just thinking of the meaning of that, and afterwards they were imprisoned. Yet as they write to the Thessalonians they make this bold statement, "You know brothers, that our visit to you was not a failure" (1 Thessalonians 2:1)
Excuse me? You were flogged and imprisoned.
What made them say that? How in the world did they get back up and do it again? Where was their fear of failure? Or the harder question, where was their fear of man?
I almost hate to say this, but at the same time it feels so good to be able to say this in past tense... I used to need people's approval. There I said it. Oh, I fight the urge to return to it. But the freedom feels so good that it truly keeps me from going back. I have stepped out so many times in obedience expecting fireworks; expecting something "big" only to feel like, "What just happened?". I would do things that I was sure of in my heart, but there wasn't a big crowd and obviously, my name never ended up in lights. Many things went unnoticed and to be honest, that left me feeling like it wasn't a success. Maybe I had misunderstood what I thought because not a lot of people liked it or said anything. Nope....my eyes were just on the wrong thing.
Jesus said that He is the Good Shepherd and would leave the 99 to go find the 1 that was lost. Did you catch that? He would do it all to save ONE...just ONE. But what if that ONE was you, me or your son, daughter, mom, dad or anyone that you love and pray for? It doesn't seem so small then does it? Jesus would do it for ONE and so should we.
In Romans 1:5 Paul speaks of this same faith I see in Thessalonians. Paul says, "Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the OBEDIENCE THAT COMES FROM FAITH". More times than not, we will be called to obey just because we believe. We believe in Christ. We believe in His Word. I love what Beth Moore says of Paul and Silas..."The gospel of God had the incomparable power to change lives, destinies, and destinations. They didn't just think it; they knew it". This is what kept them going. This is what gave them the boldness to say their mission trip was NOT a failure...they obeyed God and were committed to Him and His works~ not just their own. They had that much faith in their God. Oh, I so want this to be me, too!
And as much as Paul LOVED the new Christians in Thessalonian (remember, he truly suffered for them that they would hear the gospel and stay the faith), he made it very clear that he was not trying to win them over. He says quite boldly, "We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else". (1 Thessalonians 2:6) Ouch! If his hope and expectations were praise from men, then his trip was EPIC fail!! But because Paul was after the heart of God, he knew that any act of obedience would have eternal significance. If not for others, then for himself. He says basically the same thing in both Romans and Thessalonians: God has entrusted me with His Word and given me grace to do it and it's for HIS glory that I live and do.
The lives of Paul and Silas have given me courage and purpose once again to have an audience of One. Just like this blog. I truly was so nervous to do what God put in my heart, which was to write with purpose and intention. I had been writing a blog every now and then, but I knew in my heart God wanted me to be more intentional with it. I was just out of my bone marrow transplant and was thinking the timing was a little off. I was thinking, "Ok, bring on the chemo, but ask me to create a blog? Really? I may need a brown paper bag for this because that would be scary!". But I did it. And guess what happened?! Nothing. So it seemed. At first I was a little disappointed for lack of fireworks that I expected after truly investing; after truly obeying even through fear. I thought after all the doubts and fear I overcame to say Yes, would surely produce something "wow". But after several weeks, my blog was being read around the world. Is it famous? Nope. Does it get thousands of hits and reads? Not yet. But what if it's for just ONE? Just one in the US, Germany, Russia, Japan, India, Switzerland, Romania, Ukraine, or Vietnam? Like Paul, our obedience never ends in failure. We never know seeds that are planted. We never know the eternal impact our choices can make.
As believers in Christ, we have been entrusted with the gospel. But have you stepped out and not gotten the results you expected? Have you stepped out and assumed because of lack of participation or praise, you failed or "missed it"? What "little" thing are you not doing because you feel it's not really that big of a deal? There is nothing more that Satan would love than to have us quit. Nothing could please him more or serve his purpose better than to have Christians to think they have failed. I will leave you with the words of Beth Moore to hopefully spark some courage in YOU:
We can't let Satan shut us in or he wins the battle. He is trying to make wound-lickers out of warriors. When God opens the door again, let's stand back up, brush ourselves off and step through it.
I am praying for you tonight. And me. I am praying that we will realize that we have been entrusted with the gospel. I pray that we will not fall prey to the tricks of the enemy to have us brush off the call of God to share Him, even for "just ONE". I pray that we would have hearts that seek God the way Paul did...that for His name's sake, we would call people to faith. I pray that we will have a heart that longs to please God with or without fireworks here on earth, because our eternal rewards are far more valuable!
In 1 Thessalonians 2, I am learning of an amazing faith that leads to obedience without the fan fare. You can find this faith in the heart and lives of Paul and Silas. These two missionaries were visiting a young church that was planted in Thessalonica. But they were not received with open arms. In their service to God and love for His truth, they were beaten. And by beaten, I mean flogged. It makes my belly hurt just thinking of the meaning of that, and afterwards they were imprisoned. Yet as they write to the Thessalonians they make this bold statement, "You know brothers, that our visit to you was not a failure" (1 Thessalonians 2:1)
Excuse me? You were flogged and imprisoned.
What made them say that? How in the world did they get back up and do it again? Where was their fear of failure? Or the harder question, where was their fear of man?
I almost hate to say this, but at the same time it feels so good to be able to say this in past tense... I used to need people's approval. There I said it. Oh, I fight the urge to return to it. But the freedom feels so good that it truly keeps me from going back. I have stepped out so many times in obedience expecting fireworks; expecting something "big" only to feel like, "What just happened?". I would do things that I was sure of in my heart, but there wasn't a big crowd and obviously, my name never ended up in lights. Many things went unnoticed and to be honest, that left me feeling like it wasn't a success. Maybe I had misunderstood what I thought because not a lot of people liked it or said anything. Nope....my eyes were just on the wrong thing.
Jesus said that He is the Good Shepherd and would leave the 99 to go find the 1 that was lost. Did you catch that? He would do it all to save ONE...just ONE. But what if that ONE was you, me or your son, daughter, mom, dad or anyone that you love and pray for? It doesn't seem so small then does it? Jesus would do it for ONE and so should we.
In Romans 1:5 Paul speaks of this same faith I see in Thessalonians. Paul says, "Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the OBEDIENCE THAT COMES FROM FAITH". More times than not, we will be called to obey just because we believe. We believe in Christ. We believe in His Word. I love what Beth Moore says of Paul and Silas..."The gospel of God had the incomparable power to change lives, destinies, and destinations. They didn't just think it; they knew it". This is what kept them going. This is what gave them the boldness to say their mission trip was NOT a failure...they obeyed God and were committed to Him and His works~ not just their own. They had that much faith in their God. Oh, I so want this to be me, too!
And as much as Paul LOVED the new Christians in Thessalonian (remember, he truly suffered for them that they would hear the gospel and stay the faith), he made it very clear that he was not trying to win them over. He says quite boldly, "We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else". (1 Thessalonians 2:6) Ouch! If his hope and expectations were praise from men, then his trip was EPIC fail!! But because Paul was after the heart of God, he knew that any act of obedience would have eternal significance. If not for others, then for himself. He says basically the same thing in both Romans and Thessalonians: God has entrusted me with His Word and given me grace to do it and it's for HIS glory that I live and do.
The lives of Paul and Silas have given me courage and purpose once again to have an audience of One. Just like this blog. I truly was so nervous to do what God put in my heart, which was to write with purpose and intention. I had been writing a blog every now and then, but I knew in my heart God wanted me to be more intentional with it. I was just out of my bone marrow transplant and was thinking the timing was a little off. I was thinking, "Ok, bring on the chemo, but ask me to create a blog? Really? I may need a brown paper bag for this because that would be scary!". But I did it. And guess what happened?! Nothing. So it seemed. At first I was a little disappointed for lack of fireworks that I expected after truly investing; after truly obeying even through fear. I thought after all the doubts and fear I overcame to say Yes, would surely produce something "wow". But after several weeks, my blog was being read around the world. Is it famous? Nope. Does it get thousands of hits and reads? Not yet. But what if it's for just ONE? Just one in the US, Germany, Russia, Japan, India, Switzerland, Romania, Ukraine, or Vietnam? Like Paul, our obedience never ends in failure. We never know seeds that are planted. We never know the eternal impact our choices can make.
As believers in Christ, we have been entrusted with the gospel. But have you stepped out and not gotten the results you expected? Have you stepped out and assumed because of lack of participation or praise, you failed or "missed it"? What "little" thing are you not doing because you feel it's not really that big of a deal? There is nothing more that Satan would love than to have us quit. Nothing could please him more or serve his purpose better than to have Christians to think they have failed. I will leave you with the words of Beth Moore to hopefully spark some courage in YOU:
We can't let Satan shut us in or he wins the battle. He is trying to make wound-lickers out of warriors. When God opens the door again, let's stand back up, brush ourselves off and step through it.
I am praying for you tonight. And me. I am praying that we will realize that we have been entrusted with the gospel. I pray that we will not fall prey to the tricks of the enemy to have us brush off the call of God to share Him, even for "just ONE". I pray that we would have hearts that seek God the way Paul did...that for His name's sake, we would call people to faith. I pray that we will have a heart that longs to please God with or without fireworks here on earth, because our eternal rewards are far more valuable!
