Post by MIRIAM JACOB on Aug 25, 2007 11:49:59 GMT -5
August 23, 2007
Commit your works to the Lord,
and your thoughts will be established (Prov. 16:3).
There has been a lot of discussion on one of the writers’ loops lately about the extreme highs and lows experienced by those of us in the publishing world. After twenty-five plus years in this industry, I can certainly attest to the truth of that, and yet…
As I read the comments and replies from many who responded to this topic, I heard a lot of pain, a lot of confusion, a lot of fear…and, of course, a lot of victory. Most of us understand that whatever God has called us to do with our brief sojourns here on this earth, we know that God has a plan and a purpose for us, and that plan and purpose are “for good and not for evil, to give us a future and a hope” (Jer. 29:11). We also know—or should know—that whatever glory and honor comes from that plan and purpose is for Him, not for us. Ministry in the public eye, however, sometimes makes that focus difficult to maintain.
I believe the primary reason for the problems and concerns we have in our lives, particularly in the areas of public ministry, is a lack of understanding that what we do does not constitute who we are. Whether we are bestselling authors, world-renowned speakers, Sunday school teachers, greeters, janitors, pastors, or behind-the-scene prayer warriors, our identity is centered in the fact that we are born-again children of the Father, joint heirs with Jesus, and servants of the Most High God. What we do within that identity is secondary, but when we lose sight of that, the highs and lows, victories and disappointments, are going to toss us about like the unstable people we are. Not only our identities are found in our relationship with the Father, but our stability as well.
When we look to anything else to identify and validate us, we will be soaring one day, crushed under the compost heap the next. May we listen to the wise writer of Proverbs who said, “Commit your works [whatever they may be] to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.” If we have committed out time and effort and abilities to serving God, and if we then walk in the confidence that God has established our thoughts and ordered our steps, we can rest in whatever the outcome may be. The world may look at the results of our work and call it success…or failure. But if we are obediently serving God in the capacity He has equipped and called us to, then our lives are successful and our testimonies honoring to Him.
With that assurance, how can the events of our lives or the results of our endeavors do anything but bring joy to our hearts? So commit your works to Him today, dear friends and fellow scribes, and know that He will establish them for His glory.
(C) KATHI MACIAS
www.kathimacias.com
Commit your works to the Lord,
and your thoughts will be established (Prov. 16:3).
There has been a lot of discussion on one of the writers’ loops lately about the extreme highs and lows experienced by those of us in the publishing world. After twenty-five plus years in this industry, I can certainly attest to the truth of that, and yet…
As I read the comments and replies from many who responded to this topic, I heard a lot of pain, a lot of confusion, a lot of fear…and, of course, a lot of victory. Most of us understand that whatever God has called us to do with our brief sojourns here on this earth, we know that God has a plan and a purpose for us, and that plan and purpose are “for good and not for evil, to give us a future and a hope” (Jer. 29:11). We also know—or should know—that whatever glory and honor comes from that plan and purpose is for Him, not for us. Ministry in the public eye, however, sometimes makes that focus difficult to maintain.
I believe the primary reason for the problems and concerns we have in our lives, particularly in the areas of public ministry, is a lack of understanding that what we do does not constitute who we are. Whether we are bestselling authors, world-renowned speakers, Sunday school teachers, greeters, janitors, pastors, or behind-the-scene prayer warriors, our identity is centered in the fact that we are born-again children of the Father, joint heirs with Jesus, and servants of the Most High God. What we do within that identity is secondary, but when we lose sight of that, the highs and lows, victories and disappointments, are going to toss us about like the unstable people we are. Not only our identities are found in our relationship with the Father, but our stability as well.
When we look to anything else to identify and validate us, we will be soaring one day, crushed under the compost heap the next. May we listen to the wise writer of Proverbs who said, “Commit your works [whatever they may be] to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.” If we have committed out time and effort and abilities to serving God, and if we then walk in the confidence that God has established our thoughts and ordered our steps, we can rest in whatever the outcome may be. The world may look at the results of our work and call it success…or failure. But if we are obediently serving God in the capacity He has equipped and called us to, then our lives are successful and our testimonies honoring to Him.
With that assurance, how can the events of our lives or the results of our endeavors do anything but bring joy to our hearts? So commit your works to Him today, dear friends and fellow scribes, and know that He will establish them for His glory.
(C) KATHI MACIAS
www.kathimacias.com