«His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord’ » (Matthew 25:23).
Twenty years since our graduation? That’s impossible!» I thought, as I read the messages. My high school classmates were hosting a reunion to celebrate our graduation twenty years before. Their messages flooded me with nostalgia, but also anxiety. What would they think of me after all these years? Would they think my life was successful?
What does it mean to be successful? In the Bible, success is faithfulness, not popularity or wealth. In his article «Granting Permission to Succeed» in Christianity Today, Christian author Fred Smith defined success as «the proportion of talents used relative to those received.» Whether we are hairdressers, mothers, or marine biologists, we are successful if we are using the skills God gave us to help others. Unfortunately, we sometimes make the mistake that Nadab and Abihu did (see Leviticus and believe that we can serve God, as well as ourselves.
We want to make music to praise God, but also for people to admire our talent. We want to be good mothers and wives, but that everyone should notice and, of course, recognize us for it. We think we can use our ministry to be faithful to God, and also to receive the approval of others. However, no one can have two masters; either we serve ourselves or we serve God. We can’t mix fire.
Ananias and Sapphira (see Acts 5:1-11) also gave a dishonest offering. They wanted Barnabas and the congregation to praise them for their generosity, but their deception cost them their lives. Spiritual success demands that we completely fulfill our personal ambitions. Holy fire must consume us completely. We are living sacrifices.
While we are still drunk on false ideas about success, we try to mix fire as Nadab and Abihu did. Our only security is Christ. We must ask that our love for Him expand and thus dislodge our pride.
«Oh, to have more of that love!
If I only say one prayer this morning, it should be this:
May the flame of Jesus’ love come within each of our hearts and may all our passions be consumed by love for him»
(as Charles Spurgeon prayed in Morning and Evening).
#WomensDevotional
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Take From: Devotional Thoughts for Women 2022
«NO FEARS»
BY: VANEZA PISSUTO
Collaborators: Alexandra Pérez & Angelica Cuate.
