Reason #782
I hope I can keep my eyes open long enough to make it through this one. Aaron and I started watching a show tonight, and as I leaned on his shoulder, I couldn't help but give into sleep. I woke up as soon as the show was over, and laid down as he left the room to start getting ready for bed. He came back in, and I was startled awake. I thought to myself, "Great, I have been sleeping forever. Now I'll be up all night." I asked him how long I had been asleep and he said, "Maybe 10 minutes at the most." That's how I feel today.
"Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed." - Proverbs 16:3
The Lord laid this verse on my heart as I drove back to work from lunch today. Commit and succeed. I thought about success and about how sometimes I feel like I'm more prone to fail than be successful. I thought about what successful means, what it looks like. So often I think of success as the world defines it. Power, wealth, success, accolades, prestige, recognition, and status. Success is tangible. Success is found on the front of the newspapers. Success is rewarded with desirable things. Success is the proof of hard work done right.
But I thought more about last week, and I thought about how I had one of the most strangely successful weeks I've had in a really long time. I didn't receive any awards, and in fact, hardly anyone is even aware of my accomplishments. It won't be published in the newspaper, and I have reaped no financial gain or power from my hard work. But every day, I've prayed God would show me why He has me placed where I am. I've asked Him to show me the value, if any, that I bring to the table. I've asked Him to use me however He can. And for the past two weeks, God has shown me success in the most quiet and unnoticeable ways.
God grants us success, it's true. But a lot of times we look at life and feel like a failure. We see people succeeding and we are far from where they are. In fact, we'll probably never even be where they are. Yet notice that the key to success is in the form of actions. There is no promise that we will find success in fame or fortune, and truth be told, God can certainly lead us to those things, but He rarely does. It's in our actions that we find success. Success in truth, in honesty, in humility, graciousness, kindness, generosity, perseverance, and faithfulness because those are the things that really matter to Him.
I pray daily that God would mold me into the loving and encouraging wife Aaron needs. I hardly get it right, yet I see success every month as we celebrate another monthiversary, and I know it's because God is honoring my commitment and helping me. I struggle finding fulfillment and satisfaction 40 hours a week sitting in a cube by myself, but I see success in the conversations and behind the scenes work that no one else knows about, and I realize God is honoring my requests to use me . Sometimes, teaching bible study on Sunday mornings challenges me and stretches me more than I'd like, but I see the generosity and faithfulness of my friends each week, and I know it's only because God is working in our hearts as we have prayed for that again and again. And every night, as I sit down to write a blog that maybe a handful of people, mostly my relatives, read, I see success because God has honored my faithfulness to keep my word and given me something to say everyday.
Success in all things, just in unexpected ways. No one else may ever know or even notice for that matter, but He is completely aware, and I just praise Him for every success He has given me.
#782 - For the unexpected and unnoticed successes that He is fully aware of.
"Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." - Joshua 1:8
"Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed." - Proverbs 16:3
The Lord laid this verse on my heart as I drove back to work from lunch today. Commit and succeed. I thought about success and about how sometimes I feel like I'm more prone to fail than be successful. I thought about what successful means, what it looks like. So often I think of success as the world defines it. Power, wealth, success, accolades, prestige, recognition, and status. Success is tangible. Success is found on the front of the newspapers. Success is rewarded with desirable things. Success is the proof of hard work done right.
But I thought more about last week, and I thought about how I had one of the most strangely successful weeks I've had in a really long time. I didn't receive any awards, and in fact, hardly anyone is even aware of my accomplishments. It won't be published in the newspaper, and I have reaped no financial gain or power from my hard work. But every day, I've prayed God would show me why He has me placed where I am. I've asked Him to show me the value, if any, that I bring to the table. I've asked Him to use me however He can. And for the past two weeks, God has shown me success in the most quiet and unnoticeable ways.
God grants us success, it's true. But a lot of times we look at life and feel like a failure. We see people succeeding and we are far from where they are. In fact, we'll probably never even be where they are. Yet notice that the key to success is in the form of actions. There is no promise that we will find success in fame or fortune, and truth be told, God can certainly lead us to those things, but He rarely does. It's in our actions that we find success. Success in truth, in honesty, in humility, graciousness, kindness, generosity, perseverance, and faithfulness because those are the things that really matter to Him.
I pray daily that God would mold me into the loving and encouraging wife Aaron needs. I hardly get it right, yet I see success every month as we celebrate another monthiversary, and I know it's because God is honoring my commitment and helping me. I struggle finding fulfillment and satisfaction 40 hours a week sitting in a cube by myself, but I see success in the conversations and behind the scenes work that no one else knows about, and I realize God is honoring my requests to use me . Sometimes, teaching bible study on Sunday mornings challenges me and stretches me more than I'd like, but I see the generosity and faithfulness of my friends each week, and I know it's only because God is working in our hearts as we have prayed for that again and again. And every night, as I sit down to write a blog that maybe a handful of people, mostly my relatives, read, I see success because God has honored my faithfulness to keep my word and given me something to say everyday.
Success in all things, just in unexpected ways. No one else may ever know or even notice for that matter, but He is completely aware, and I just praise Him for every success He has given me.
#782 - For the unexpected and unnoticed successes that He is fully aware of.
"Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." - Joshua 1:8