“In the book Second Calling, Dale Bourke writes that
years ago, she attended a conference. When it was over, her friend Bruce
offered her a ride to the airport. As they were about to leave, another man
asked if he could join them. As they drove away from the hotel, she and Bruce asked
the man where he worked, and he mentioned a Christian organization. Bruce said,
“I have fond memories of that group, because I attended a retreat of theirs one
time, and that’s where I became a Christian. It was in 1972 in New Hampshire.”
Bruce went on to explain that eventually his whole family became Christians and
went into Christian work. His sister was a Wycliffe missionary and Bruce
himself became publisher of a major Christian publishing house, which brought
many significant Christian books to the public. Bruce finished the story with a
flourish saying that the retreat had had a worldwide impact when you think
about it.
“The man was silent. Dale and Bruce thought that maybe
they were boring him. Then the stranger quietly said, “I led that retreat. It
was my first time as a conference leader, and I felt like a total failure.
Until this moment, I have always believed it was one of the biggest failures of
my life.” Dale Bourke wrote, “What had seemed like the simple act of offering a
ride to a stranger had turned into a powerful reminder that God uses our
efforts whether we realize it or not. I may spend the rest of my life doing
things that don’t seem at all successful. Yet only God knows the purpose. I am
called simply to be faithful””*
We live in a success-driven
culture where we tend to rate ourselves in comparison to the accomplishments of
others. The rise of social media has
just made things worse. How would things
change if you truly believed that God didn’t judge you like others judged you
(or like you judge yourself)? Remember:
God calls us to faithfulness, not success.
God loves you!
Mike
*https://therocketcompany.com/10-new-preaching-stories/
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