Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you… for I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you’. Isaiah 41:10,13.
Most Western pastors lead churches that are not growing numerically. Many feel they are failures. But they may be more ‘successful’ in God’s eyes than others whose churches are booming, but whose growth is simply catering to their own egos.
So be careful of that impostor ‘success’. You may succeed – but not in God’s way. Your calling is to do his will, and if he grants you success, fine. If not, fine! God’s will is that you shall not need to be successful to be happy. If you are elated too much by success or depressed too much by failure, you still have some maturing to do!
Ignatius Loyola founded the Society of Jesus, the Jesuits. It was his life-work, the fulfilment of a consuming ambition. He was once asked how he’d feel if the Pope suppressed the Society. ‘A quarter of an hour of prayer’, he replied, ‘and I would think no more of it’. He’d cultivated a sublime indifference to temporal success or failure.
The one thing that matters, Lord Christ, is that you are honoured. May that be my consuming ambition. Amen.
Shalom!
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