We often
struggle--I think--with recognizing the significance of our lives. We
are always questioning what difference it makes in the scheme of God's
plan for the ages whether I do something or not. We wonder how we as
obscure unknown individuals in centuries of time can possibly make a
difference. Whose life will we touch who will go on to do something
dynamic for God? What choice of ours will determine the success or
failure of the church and its mission? How can the choices that I make
as a chubby old bald guy in the twentieth century in Cardington, Ohio,
possibly play a role in God's eternal plan for the ages? Ever ask
yourself such a question? Minus the chubby old bald guy stuff, of
course.
You know what? When we reach such a point in our reflective nature, we have lost our focus. I know, there's the old, but true, concept that we never really know whose life we are touching and what impact our ministry will have on them and the church. That's a good thought to have, but I still maintain that it's the wrong focus. The significant of my choices--and thus, my life--has little to do with human qualifications and guidelines for measuring significance. And isn't that what all those questions deal with? Significance as man defines it? You see, what gives my life significance is how God views my choices. And His standard of significance is not how many people did I impact, how greatly did I impact them, or how marvelous an impact did I have on history, but did I love Him and thus keep His commandments. Did I live a life of faith: obeying Him and leaving the consequences in His hands? He only asks for faithfulness, nothing else. My life will be important and significant if, when I stand in His presence, He smiles and simply says, "Well done, good and faithful servant." Keeping that moment in focus makes my every choice of eternal significance, vitally important, an act of love. I am not called to change the world in some miraculous way; I am called to touch the heart of God with my loving obedience. And each act of obedience touches His heart and brings Him joy. Now, that's significance.
You know what? When we reach such a point in our reflective nature, we have lost our focus. I know, there's the old, but true, concept that we never really know whose life we are touching and what impact our ministry will have on them and the church. That's a good thought to have, but I still maintain that it's the wrong focus. The significant of my choices--and thus, my life--has little to do with human qualifications and guidelines for measuring significance. And isn't that what all those questions deal with? Significance as man defines it? You see, what gives my life significance is how God views my choices. And His standard of significance is not how many people did I impact, how greatly did I impact them, or how marvelous an impact did I have on history, but did I love Him and thus keep His commandments. Did I live a life of faith: obeying Him and leaving the consequences in His hands? He only asks for faithfulness, nothing else. My life will be important and significant if, when I stand in His presence, He smiles and simply says, "Well done, good and faithful servant." Keeping that moment in focus makes my every choice of eternal significance, vitally important, an act of love. I am not called to change the world in some miraculous way; I am called to touch the heart of God with my loving obedience. And each act of obedience touches His heart and brings Him joy. Now, that's significance.
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