Wellspring of Life

By Staci Pace

There’s a belief that I have that when Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you,” (John 14) He wasn’t talking about the sweet by and by. I believe that He meant when His work defeating the grave was completed, we would immediately have access to the presence of God. And truly, I feel that when we worship, we have the opportunity to get into that place where everything else fades away: our problems with our spouse, our concerns for our children, our worry about what people think of us, even physical pain…Everything fades away. I also believe that we can reach this place wherever we are by a simple act of worship: centering our mind, will and emotions on Christ and allowing that redeemed spirit inside of us to take over. It has happened for me many times: in church with many saints, in my car with noisy children, lying in my bed before going to sleep.

But, truly, honestly, that’s not enough for me. Although it is bliss, and I can access that any time, I still want more! I realize that, as a believer, I have Christ with me at all times. Yet, I long to experience Him on a deeper level ALL the time. I want to feel Him close to me. Unfortunately, for now I have this ever-present, constant struggle with this part of me called my flesh.

My flesh is un-redeemed and consistently screaming for my attention, whether it is for the necessities of life or for those less important, but equally strong, temptations. My soul is not always on board with this desire of mine, either. My feelings constantly betray what I know to be true and, not unlike Paul, I can’t go very long without making a decision that is contrary to what I know is the way of Christ. One day, I will leave this flesh behind to spend eternity in the presence of my glorious King, completely unveiled, fully alive to the Spirit, but until that day…

Is Christ disappointed that I can’t remain in a constant state of awareness of His presence in my life? Is He disappointed that I do not always recognize the glory cloud of the Holy Spirit that is with me always? I would imagine that He is disappointed, much like any man would be with an aloof and distracted wife. (We are His bride after all.) However, I believe Jesus’ love is great enough. I believe that regardless of how seldom we actually take notice of His presence, He is pleased beyond measure when we do. And I believe that He enjoys it when we cry out to Him, “I want to be closer! I can’t get enough! I want more! I’m not satisfied!”

Now, it could be argued that we shouldn’t be dissatisfied or hungry for more because Jesus also said, “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.” (John 4) So does this mean that we will never feel a craving for the presence? If, as believers, Christ dwells in us as promised, shouldn’t we always be satisfied and full, overflowing even? Jesus continued, “The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” So, surely we all have a constant flow of spiritually satisfying, live-giving water gushing out of us that everyone around us experiences any time we are around!

But, wait a moment. What about that grocery store clerk that I was incredibly short with for taking his sweet precious time bagging my fresh produce on top of my fresh loaf of sliced bread? What about the woman I completely cut off on the way to school this morning because I didn’t plan ahead for my lane change? What about my daughter who I yelled at yesterday for getting banana all over my bedspread? I really don’t think these people were experiencing the overflow of my wellspring of life. And I’m positive that I was not either.

Why not? I think the culprit is that pesky little part of me I mentioned earlier: my flesh. It gets in the way! As much as I wish that I could take each step of every day in the full knowledge and awareness of the Spirit of God inside me, I can’t. Despite my every effort, I fail. Something happens in the day to draw my attention away, and often it’s not even external. And so a thirst rises up within me to once again experience that living water. I have a longing to have my eyes opened to what is actually present, even when I don’t feel it. Maybe you have the same experience.

Thankfully, all we have to do is surrender our own desires, thoughts and ways, and we can once again get a taste of that sweet and fulfilling water. And, when we are completely surrendered to Christ, so can those around us. And even if it’s for a moment, that moment, I promise, will be well worth it. And then tomorrow, you’ll be hungry for it again!

 

This article was originally posted at RockSongChurch.org. 

Promise Fulfilled

By Staci Pace

Maybe I am the only one, but from time to time I find myself wondering if the many promises God has spoken over my family and me will actually come to fruition. At my lowest points, this doubt and fear has plunged me into a kind of hopelessness. Thankfully, I am surrounded by people who love me, love God and believe for me when I cannot. These wonderful, incredible people have the ability to pull me out of the depths of despair before they even know that I have been stuck there, and often so quickly that the memory is like an ignored glitch in the programming. (This is one benefit of being so involved and plugged into the local church body, and if you aren’t, I’d suggest you run to the next gathering of the body of Christ and PLUG IN!)

This week I have struggled to keep these doubtful thoughts at bay, but while considering what happened this Easter weekend so long ago, I had an epiphany. Jesus IS the promise! Now, before you put face to palm and wonder how I’ve gotten so far in ministry without knowing that, I promise I knew it already. It was just an “Aha!” moment for me. My thought was if I start every morning with that in mind, I might struggle with my doubts quite a bit less. My promise IS Jesus, and He HAS come, and He is alive in me, and He IS my reward!

Funny thing is, I don’t think I’m the only one whose had this revelation. Paul began many of his letters (Romans, Galatians, Ephesians) reminding, or in some cases, revealing the sacrifice of Christ and what it brought for those of us who believe. If we start there, how could we possibly end in a pit of despair? Take a look at what Paul wrote to the Ephesians (posted here in the Message translation) and be encouraged:

How blessed is God! And what a blessing He is! He’s the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in Him. Long before He laid down earth’s foundations, He had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of His love, to be made whole and holy by His love. Long, long ago He decided to adopt us into His family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure He took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of His lavish gift-giving by the hand of His beloved Son. Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, His blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people – free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans He took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in Him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth. It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, He had His eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose He is working out in everything and everyone. It’s in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free – signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what’s coming, a reminder that we’ll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life. Ephesians 1:3-14

So, absolutely, without doubt or reservation, EVERY PROMISE is IN Christ! And we have Him! He is fully ours and we are fully His. And we know that nothing can separate us from Him, and therefore whether the circumstances of this life reflect it, the truth stands that we have obtained the inheritance: the Christ, the Son of the living God.

But, if that is not enough to pull you from the depths, think on this: Not only do we have the promise, WE ARE THE PROMISE! Imagine the horror that Jesus lived through on the cross and think what powerful conviction and LOVE must have kept Him there unto death. Here is some encouragement offered to the Hebrews that continues to speak volumes to weary souls:

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. Hebrews 12:1-3

Notice that Christ “for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross”. The Father had promised the Son something. He had promised Him a Bride. God the Father had promised Jesus US: you and me! The whole purpose of the cross was to bring US into the presence of God unblemished and holy. And we who believe are Christ’s promise fulfilled!

Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight path for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed… For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore… But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. Hebrews 12:12-13,18-19,22-24

So the next time you find yourself doubting the reality of the promises of God, the next time you find yourself straining your neck to see them around the next bend in the road, take a moment and remind yourself: I have the promise and I am the promise. 

This article was originally posted at RockSong Church. 

Throw Me, Daddy!

By Staci Pace

One night, my husband was playing with our four-year-old daughter, and while attempting to throw her into the air (like he had done many times in the past) I watched as her face grimaced in total fear. “No, Daddy!” she cried. “I’m afraid of heights!” Her fear filled me with utter sadness. Her father had never dropped her, never thrown her away from him, never grabbed her too tightly; where had she picked up this irrational fear? My daughter was unable to experience the sheer joy and delight she had in the past simply because something unrelated made her doubt her safety in the arms of her father.

As I watched my husband talk with her and work with her through her fear, I couldn’t help but think how many times fear has stolen joy in my own life. I pictured myself in the arms of Father God, crying out in terror, “No, God! Don’t throw me! I’m afraid!” Where do we get this fear? Are His arms not the most capable of catching us? Is He not the most aware of how high we can go without harm being done? I began to ask what decisions might be keeping me from experiencing the very real FREEDOM that Christ died for. Here are some things that came to mind. Maybe you can relate.

1. We put all our trust in someone else.

Perhaps fear entered my daughter’s mind when someone other than her daddy attempted to heave her far into the air. When we take our eyes of the Father and look to someone else to keep us up, we find ourselves flat on our back, wounded and blaming God. It’s not that we shouldn’t trust other people, but that we should trust them THROUGH God. Knowing that when they fall short, the Father, who loves us all (sinner or redeemed), will pick up the slack. We need to remind ourselves from time to time whose arms we are in. He is trustworthy ALWAYS!

Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. Isaiah 43:1b-2

2. We’ve loaded ourselves with circumstances.

Imagine trying to jump on a trampoline with a hiking pack loaded with all the gear necessary for a backpacking trip across Europe. Each time we jump up in the air, our backpack would decide exactly how and where we land. Our circumstances weigh us down no matter how we might try to configure the weight of them. But God is ready and waiting to take the weight for us.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30

3. We have a death grip on our traditions.

My daughter didn’t want to be afraid, and after watching her two older brothers get thrown high into the air, she asked to try again. Each time my husband tried to throw my daughter in the air, she would attempt to grab onto his clothes, which of course kept her from flying high. Holding onto God’s cloak is not the same as putting all our trust in Him. While some of our traditions truly are from Him, if we hold too tightly to them, we will never go as far as Christ intended for us to go.

How can we sum this up? All those people who didn’t seem interested in what God was doing actually embraced what God was doing as He straightened out their lives. And Israel, who seemed so interested in reading and talking about what God was doing, missed it. How could they miss it? Because instead of trusting God, they took over. They were absorbed with what they themselves were doing. They were so absorbed in their “God projects” that they didn’t notice God right in front of them, like a huge rock in the middle of the road. Romans 9:20-33 MSG (selection)

4. We let the world dissuade us.

It is also altogether possible that my daughter was “taught” to fear heights by her older brothers. Sometimes well-meaning people put things on us that are not from God at all. The world has a completely different view of wisdom, and when we fully rely on God, we appear fools to the world. If we let worldly opinions and philosophies crowd our minds, we will never be able to let go and fly.

Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” Therefore let no one boast in men. 1 Corinthians 3:18-21a

My daughter didn’t give up, and neither should we. She kept trying to find that trust again, and in the end, exclaimed with fists clenched tight and victory in her eyes, “Yes! I did it! I did it!” Is her fear completely gone? Not quite. But she’s learning to overcome it, and maybe we can to.

What is holding you back from the Father’s freedom? What steps can you take to let go and fly?

This article was originally posted at RockSongChurch.org

Ministering Beyond a Rejected Heart

As a minister in the local church, one becomes emotionally, physically and spiritually attached to their job. It can’t be helped, and I’m not sure that it’s a bad thing. As ministers our heart should be in it. It should be an outpouring of what God has put on the inside. Our ministry should be what naturally just happens because we are passionately seeking that to which God has called us. Unfortunately, this leaves us in a very vulnerable state. While pouring out our heart, it often gets rejected by those to whom we are desperately trying to minister, or those with whom we are ministering.

Most of us have been there: We have shared our sweat, blood and tears with someone who suddenly abandons the vision or maybe even attempts to run away with it. We spend months or years spending all of our energy in training and equipping someone who turns right around and walks away from it all claiming no opportunity was made available to them. We pour out our heart and dreams to someone we care about thinking they will support us in our efforts, only to find they consider it frivolous. We love and love and love and forgive, forgive, forgive a difficult person over and over again who rejects the acceptance and spitefully lies about who we are. We pursue an avenue of provision only to be ignored or belittled. And over and over again we offer our heart to the Maker, who makes it soft again, and we put it out there once more.

This phenomenon is no new thing. There is hardly a minister mentioned in the Word who has not dealt with the pain of rejection. Joseph’s brothers so rejected his dream that they set out to kill him. David felt the stab from his own son, Absalom. It was a rare moment when a prophet was actually accepted by the people of the times. Paul had to withstand much rejection throughout his ministry. And Jesus, of course, was met with the ultimate rejection.

So, when our heart is rejected, because, no doubt, it will be, how can we carry on in our ministry? While these may not offer you the solace you are looking for, these three things have kept me going even with my broken heart.

1. Remember WHO YOU ARE.

Although it might seem like it at times, our ministry is not ALL that we are. We are sons and daughters of the Most High God. We are His chosen people created for Him. And regardless of how long, how hard, how often, how simply, how effectively, how truthfully we serve in ministry; God will still love us just the same. He will still call us His children. He will still hold us close to His heart. Remember that you are His.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:3-6

2. Remember your WHY.

What is it that persuaded you to serve in the first place? What cause stole your heart? Whenever I am discouraged and down trodden, I hear these questions in my mind, and I must say that the cause still makes my heart beat a little faster. It still stirs me to love the lost AND the found. It still calls my name, and I still want to answer. Your WHY is written on your heart, and even if you have to dig to find it, the rediscovery is well worth the dirty work.

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28: 18-20

3. Remember WHO HE IS.

If you feel as though you have been burned so badly that you find yourself questioning who you really are, or your why is too far buried or seems empty now, it’s time to return to your first love. Seek the Father. He will never disappoint. He will never forsake you. There is never enough anger or resentment to send Him away. Let Him be your refuge. Surrender to Him your bleeding heart and let Him mend and heal and renew.

The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you. Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel! You shall again be adorned with your tambourines, and shall go forth in the dances of those who rejoice. You shall yet plant vines on the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant and eat them as ordinary food. For there shall be a day when the watchmen will cry on Mount Ephraim, ‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to the Lord our God.’” Jeremiah 31:3-6

What has helped you to minister beyond rejection? What scriptures offer hope to your bleeding heart? What is your WHY that calls you beyond your own strength?

 

 

This article was originally posted at RockSongChurch.org.

Characteristics of a Significant Person

“I pledge to show my Wildcat Pride by practicing self-control, respecting others, and being responsible, initiating kindness, demonstrating courage and exhibiting integrity. Go Wildcats!”

Every student at The Academy speaks this pledge every morning following the Pledge of Allegiance (complete with “under God”). The pledge includes the six character traits that are taught to the students every year. This is one of my favorite things about The Academy of Charter of Schools.

Thinking about people who have had a significant impact on my life, I can see how each of them has held these character traits. So, if I want to be a significant person, maybe I should start putting these character traits into practice in my every day life. And if I want to raise children who make a significant mark on the world, I should begin instilling these characteristics in them today.

1. Self Control

Mind over matter. That’s what they always say, right? I don’t think that’s right at all. It should be, “Spirit over mind.” If we can learn to surrender control to the Spirit of God inside us, we will never allow our emotions to control us. Easier said than done, I know, but if we can learn to stop in those moments before reacting, and speak a quick prayer (in tongues or not) or hum a short worship tune, we will likely no longer react, but instead respond in the love of God.

In order to be significant, we have to practice allowing GOD significant control over our mind, will and emotions. If we’re walking in all God has called us to, that’s what real “self” control looks like.

2. Respect

Respect, as a verb, is defined as esteeming somebody or something, not violating something, or being considerate toward someone or something. With that in mind, here are few things you can do to show respect: Address people with their title, i.e. Pastor Al, Mrs. Joyce, Councilperson Marci, Officer Smith. Doing this denotes your respect for their authority in your life. (This is something so foreign to today’s culture that it may seem really odd at first, and you may even hear, “Oh, please, call me Marci.” But that is beside the point.) Hold the door open for a stranger, or help the elderly lady at the grocery store load her groceries into the car. Follow the rules of the office (or your parents, or the dog park) even if you think they’re unreasonable or outdated.

It’s hard to be significant to someone else if we lack respect for who they are and what they represent in our lives.

3. Responsibility

This is a little more than being responsible to get your chores done. It’s a little different than punctuality (although that definitely helps!). A significant person isn’t afraid to take responsibility of his or her own failures, even when they feel someone else’s fault spurred their own. Take responsibility for your actions and words when children surround you. Be responsible with your money and finances by honoring God with the tithe, paying your bills on time, and not spending beyond your means. Don’t let the clock rule over you! Wake up 15 minutes earlier if you’re consistently late and show you’re responsible with time.

While it may not seem like being responsible leads to a life of significance, an irresponsible person will find it nearly impossible.

4. Kindness

Simply being kind to people. This can be REALLY hard in a society such as ours that often honors our feelings over our actions. Sometimes we think that we’ve left aloofness and mean words in the high school hallways, but unfortunately this is far from the truth. If we really examine our lives and how we respond to the people around us, I think we’ll find ourselves guilty of entirely rude behavior. Remember that kid across that street that is so irritatingly loud and obnoxious? Were you really being kind when you corrected his behavior? Have you thought about showing kindness to the weird looking bagger at the grocery store who often seems fascinated with your children? Or how about to the lady at the mall who ignorantly bumped into you and then just kept on walking?

Making a significant step towards being a kind person requires actively considering our facial expressions, terminology, and body language and initiating kindness in our interactions with others.

5. Courage

Often, those who have made a significant impact on the world simply had the courage to love the unloved. Some had the courage pursue the impossible. Most had the courage to appear a fool. All of them had the courage to fail.

A life of significance requires courage. Without it, nothing will be accomplished.

6. Integrity

Integrity is being who you say you are, and if I may take it a step further, true integrity is being who God says you are. Our circumstances usually try to make us someone else entirely. Our world often declares that we cannot be who God says we are. And sometimes even our loved ones speak over us the direct opposite. Integrity is not being perfect, but being honest, especially with our faults while consistently living as though we have something greater inside of us. It is living with a sense of honor towards this life we have been given and the lives of those around us. It is standing up for what God has deemed righteous and often fighting for it. It is living every day with our heart set on the eternal.

If we fail in living a life of integrity, whatever change we may impart to the world will be built on a shaky and crumbling foundation at best.

This is not by any means a comprehensive list of characteristics, but if we begin implementing these characteristics in our every day lives, there is nothing that can keep us from making a significant impact on those around us. What characteristics have you seen present in those who have made an impact on your life?

4 Ways to Be Significant Today

Last week I spoke about how significance is more important than success. (If you haven’t read it yet, read it here.) While it may take some time to truly become a positive, significant part of the lives of your loved ones and those around you, there are a few things that you can do to become significant in someone’s life today. Here are a few ideas:

1.    Smile and be polite to those who serve you.

If you have every worked in retail, the food industry, a barber shop, a bank, a call center or any other place where your job is to serve the people around you, you know how degrading it can be to have rude or belligerent customers. As a customer, it is easy to forget that these servers to society are people just trying to do their jobs. Imagine how refreshing it might be for a waiter who is just having a really bad day or the hairdresser who just had to cut the hair of three screaming children to be shown a bit of grace.

A smile and a good word (and a DECENT TIP) goes a really long way in the lives of those who constantly get blamed for customer woes.

2.    Open your eyes to the struggles of those around you.

Once, I was waiting (and waiting and waiting) in line at a fast food restaurant to get my kids a snack and noticed a woman in line behind me who seemed to be very flustered and looked as if she’d been crying. I thought to myself that maybe I should do something or say something, but I didn’t want to come across the wrong way and so I decided not to say anything. Thankfully, the person behind the counter took another eternity to help the person in front of me, and I had the time to put myself in this woman’s shoes. I turned and just asked her if she’d like to go ahead of me in line. She looked extremely grateful and took my place. Come to find out, she had just found out that her father had been life-lighted to a hospital and she was trying her best to get her children fed and make her way towards the hospital to find out what was going on. I ended up saying a quick prayer for her and her family, and, before she left, she let me know that she felt much more at peace. I don’t know that anything I did really made a significant difference in what must have been a tremendously difficult circumstance, but it certainly didn’t hurt.

Sometimes all it takes is for someone to notice and take some kind of action, no matter how small.

3.    Can what you are doing right now be done just a bit differently to affect someone else?

Are you cooking dinner? Could you easily make a bit extra to take to your sick neighbor down the street? Did you run into the convenience store to pick up some washer fluid? Why not pay for two and take one to the older man pumping gas outside? Are you shoveling snow? Why not get your neighbor’s front walk as well. Grabbing a quick coffee on your way to get the kids from school? It wouldn’t be difficult to pick up one for their teacher while you’re at it. Don’t hate me for this one, but have you every tried to be more aware of the people around you as you’re driving? I don’t mean being more aware of their driving errors, but be more thoughtful about how you might make the road a little more easily traveled for everyone else. Do you have an elderly neighbor or someone who might be stuck at home all week while their husband takes the only car to work? What if you offered to pick up a few things at the store for them each time you went?

Sometimes our everyday tasks can easily be turned into so much more if we just start thinking a little bit differently about them.

4.    Pay a stranger a compliment.

If you try, it’s really fairly simple to come up with a compliment for someone. And, if you’ve ever been the recipient of such a compliment, you know how good it makes you feel. To a mother with her hands full with crazy kids at the grocery store, it can make a huge difference to hear someone say, “I promise: You’re doing a better job than you think you are.” To that moody teenager in front of you in line at the movie theater, “I really like your shoes” will mean A LOT more than they’ll let on, even coming from someone as “OLD” as you. And it doesn’t matter if the grocery store clerk has heard a million times that her ring is really pretty, she’ll still like hearing it again.

Try complimenting as many people as you can today. It not only makes a difference in their attitude, it will make a difference in yours!

 

What can you do today to affect the lives of those around you? How can you make your everyday tasks significant? Who knows, the steps you take today towards significance might even become a great Blessing Bomb testimony!

 

This article was originally posted at RockSongChurch.org. 

Success or Significance?

As the body of Christ, it could be argued that we are each successful. But, let’s be honest. Most of us don’t think that way about success. We think about how much money we have in our bank account, how big our house is, how many followers we have on Twitter, that promotion we’ve never gotten, etc. And that’s certainly the way most of the world thinks of success.

I think it’s high time we stopped striving for success and focus our attention and energy, instead, on being significant, and here are 4 reasons why.

 1.    Success is self-motivated. Significance is others-motivated.

On our ascent up the ladder, we are focused on our destination and on which rung to place our foot next. We pay little heed to the people we inadvertently push out of the way. It causes us to become self-absorbed, sometimes stingy, and often ungrateful. As we search for ways to be significant, we begin to see the needs of others. We look outside of ourselves and make room for the miraculous to arise, for God’s goodness to flow, and His kingdom advance. And in the process we begin to see the reasons to be joyful and grateful.

 2.    Success requires much time and effort. Significance requires only care.

It has been said, “There is no elevator to success. You must take the stairs.” You can spend a lifetime climbing those stairs only to never reach the top. But, significance is something that we can achieve even in our every day activities. (I’ll make some suggestions in my next post.) We simply have to keep our eyes open for the opportunity and step into it.

3.    Success once attained, promptly changes. Significance remains unchanged.

Once we arrive in that corner office with the great view, we realize that really we have wanted OUT of the office. The pursuit of success then becomes an exhausting never-ending venture that often still leads to discontent. However, when we find that we have made a significant contribution to someone’s life (even if it be only our own children), we discover fulfillment like never before. And once that significant mark is made, it cannot be undone no matter how many mistakes we may make in the future. Once we have loved, once we have shown grace, once we have provided a shoulder on which to cry, once we have taught someone to fish, it will not be forgotten.

4.    Success is temporal. Significance is eternal.

While our own success may seem lasting for our immediate family, it is not. It is dependent only on their own idea of success, and rest assured it is not identical to yours. You see, even if you pass a successful company on to Junior, he may view it simply as a means to accomplish his dream of being a successful pro-skater. For those of us who work hard enough for it, our own success on this earth will have no lasting impact, unless of course we use that success to be significant. When we change the lives of others and impact their heart with significant acts that lead to a corrected view of Father God, or a fresh perspective on how to live in His freedom, we have unleashed yet another potentially significant ambassador of the Kingdom. Success is about a harvest, while significance is about planting seeds, cultivating the ground, training and equipping harvesters, farmers, bakers, engineers, etc.

Consider the life of Jesus. The Jewish population rejected Him because most saw Him as unsuccessful. He did not succeed as the Messiah in their view. (We know better, though.) However, the people still flocked to hear Him speak, and clambered for His healing touch. Why? Because He was significant to all He came in contact with.

Are you as tired as I am of success or lack of it? Are you ready for more? Are you ready to live a life of significance?

 

 This blog was originally posted at RockSongChurch.org.