Living with a Single Passion

We are getting ready to start a brand new intense series at Catalyst called "40 Days of Grace."  As with many big things, I approach this with mixed feelings- both of excitement and apprehension.  I am excited because if the church actually grabs hold of what we will be talking about over the next 40 days, God will move in ways I could never comprehend or imagine.  I am apprehensive for the opposite reason- what if the church just says "ho hum" or we don't communicate it in a way that is relevant?

The combination of Sunday morning messages, daily devos, small group DVD lessons (all produced in-house with no outside help) represent six months of labor and study.  What if the people don't get it?  Even more terrible would be this:  what if the people are the exact same after this series than before?

All these thoughts run through my head as we prepare to jump into this huge event in the life of our church.  I have realized that I can't dwell on them.  I can't make people learn or change.  That is up to God.  In other words, the success of 40 Days of Grace is not up to me.  It is up to God.  My job was to be faithful, to do the very best I can with what I have, and leave the results up to God.

I realize that this is also the way my walk with Christ is.  Whether I do great things or small things for God, it is simply my job to be faithful.  God wants faithfulness from me, not success.  I think as Christians so many times we get caught up in whether or not we are successful in the Christian life.  We look at our prayer lives, our struggles with temptation, our study of the Bible, and see no success at all.  Thank God we will not be judged on those things.  We will be judged on our faithfulness- did we love God with our heart, soul, mind, and strength?  Did we answer when He called?  Did we live with a single passion- to see the name of God glorified and known throughout His creation?

Faithfulness, not success, is the hallmark of the Christian life.  Therefore, going into this series, I am praying for faithfulness, both in my church and in my life.  I pray that through the 40 Days our church will become even more faithful to God.  I pray that I will become more faithful to God.  The results?  Well, that's up to the Man upstairs.