#MorningDevotion SUCCESSFUL, OR FAITHFUL? . An elderly preacher was rebuked by one of his deacons one Sunday morning before the service. Pastor, said the man, something must be wrong with your preaching and your work. Theres been only one person added to the church in a whole year, and hes just a boy. The minister listened, his eyes moistening and his thin hand trembling. I feel it all, he replied, but God knows Ive tried to do my duty. On that day the ministers heart was heavy as he stood before his flock. As he finished the message, he felt a strong inclination to resign. After everyone else had left, that one boy came to him and asked, Do you think if I worked hard for an education, I could become a preacher--perhaps a missionary? Again tears welled up in the ministers eyes. Ah, this heals the ache I feel, he said. Robert, I see the Divine hand now. May God bless you, my boy. Yes, I think you will become a preacher. Many years later an aged missionary returned to London from Africa. His name was spoken with reverence. Nobles invited him to their homes. He had added many souls to the church of Jesus Christ, reaching even some of Africas most savage chiefs. His name was Robert Moffat, the same Robert who years before had spoken to the pastor that Sunday morning in the old Scottish Kirk. In the eyes of many, this pastor may not have been successful but in the eyes of God not only was he successful he was also faithful. Matthew 25:23 (NIV) 23His master replied, Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your masters happiness! Everyone wants to be successful. We want to know that we have achieved something worthwhile. Often we treat ourselves as failures when we do not live up to such heavy expectations. However, there is only one true measure of success and that is faithfulness - faithfulness to God, yourself and your calling in life. God is not looking for successful people as we deem success; He is looking for faithful people. Note He says welcome home good and FAITHFUL servant, not good and SUCCESSFUL servant. When you really think about it, how would you define success? For some, success is measured by how much money one has in their bank account. For others, success is measured by how many cars one has in their parking lot, still others by how many college degrees one has earned. For others, success is measured by ones popularity or fame, more so in this celebrity culture that we have embraced. So, if one does not manage to have a fat bank account; or, if one does not drive a flashy car or earn a degree; or, if one does not achieve fame, does this mean that one is a failure? Being faithful means only one thing, namely, to be firm in keeping a promise or to be steadfast in loyalty.Abraham was promised many descendants that he never saw,he only had one son of promise. In the eyes of some he may look like a failure but he was faithful and so successful in the eyes of God. Some may say that the ideal situation is to be successful and faithful. But, in the end, it seems to me that life is not about how many awards one receives or how much one owns and possesses or how famous one may become. Rather, the quality of ones living; the courage of ones spirit; the kindness and generosity in ones heart and a heroic, undying faithfulness to love and goodness, these are the things that really matter! One who possesses such qualities may not be considered a success in the eyes of many. But such a person will be regarded by all as being a good and faithful servant. When you die and people gather at your funeral to pay their last respects, do you prefer to be remembered as having been successful or faithful? PRACTICAL APPLICATION: God can do a lot with faithful men. Choose to be faithful to that which God has called you weather you are successful in the eyes of people or not
Posted on: Wed, 24 Sep 2014 03:08:40 +0000
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