How do you see success or lack of success in your life? How much of it do you attribute to yourself? How much to the circumstances?

Early in Jesus’ ministry, John the Baptist’s disciples were alarmed by Jesus’ popularity. Particularly, they point out that more people are being baptized by Jesus than their master, John. Imagine yourself opening up a business. But right down the street, another business opens up and that business is taking away all your customers! What was John’s attitude?

“A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.” John 3:27

John attributed his success or lack thereof, not to himself but to God. He knew that his purpose was not to try to be a success but to be obedient. And if his obedience brought success, great! But if it didn’t, then great also, since success was never really the goal but obedience was.

I do believe it is important to try to be fruitful (I don’t like the word “successful” since we can always ask, “successful in whose eyes?”). We use God given talents and gifts to be as fruitful as we can possible be. But not at the expense of sacrificing our obedience to Him. Sometimes, God will call us to a place that we are not gifted for. Or at least we don’t think we are gifted in it because it doesn’t fit our personality nor are we very fruitful. But what matters is not how successful we are in the world’s eyes or our eyes. “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.” Sometimes God chooses to give in abundance. Sometimes He chooses to give sparingly.

Our job is to be satisfied in being obedient.

“I was called not to comfort or to success but to obedience.” – Karen Watson (A mission martyr to Iraq)

PH