Our faithfulness in Question

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Chasing a miracle is a heart-wrenching and devastating ordeal. With anything that is worth pursuing, you have the consequence of bitter defeat, or glorious triumph. A middle area does not exist in this land – yet most people want nothing more than this middle area when chasing a miracle. The middle area is where you have not fully experienced the miracle, but are not devastated beyond belief where you can still function and sort of expect something better.

I am not someone that advocates a lifestyle of extreme highs and extreme lows. However, the realm of impossibility has thrown me in situations where such extremity has been necessary. I really don’t like it, but it is where the Creator has taken me. Mother Teresa always said that God does not require success – but faithfulness. I have been thinking about this over and over again. What does it mean to be free from the idea of success when your calling is somewhat dependent on worldly success? What does it mean to be invisible when my growth requires high visibility?

The Devil makes you think that a miracle happening requires success happening as well. This may be true in some cases, but is the worst foundational lie that I myself sometimes believe. A miracle has nothing to do with success at its core. In fact, most miracles and impossible things of God come out of deep defeat, insecurity, sorrow, and grief. Being unsuccessful should not lead to unfaithfulness – Just as extreme success should not lead to more faithfulness. We must never measure our faithfulness by the output, or the things we receive. Faithfulness is free – God’s faithfulness to us is His precious gift – it is unwavering and undetermined based on our works. Similarly, our faithfulness to the things we are called to must be unshakeable. It must be devout and reverent. It must never need gratitude or applause. In many ways, it should be legalistic, habitual, and ritualistic if necessary – take that in any way you choose – hopefully in the way I mean it.

Disappointment is the greatest threat to our faithfulness. When we are disappointed, we only think and focus on the failure of the thing we are disappointed by. The opposite of failure is success – so our heart desires success. Our thoughts want it so badly. Our mind chases the success and starts hating the failure. We don’t think about faithfulness at this point – we think about what it’s going to take to become successful.

My darkest parts of my heart are corrupt with these things. It does not matter how secure or mature you are – these things can always creep up. When you are called to be in the world, it is hard to believe that your faithfulness is what matters. All we see is the success or failure of people. This is what social media highlights. This is what the internet and newspapers applaud. This Christmas, I forever denounce the idolatry and glorification of the wrong kinds of success. This Christmas, I choose to remember the fact that a baby in a manger was refused room in a bunch of inns that He created. This Christmas, I remember that a baby was born to a virgin from the Holy Spirit so it would be clear that the baby was 100% man and 100% God. It would have been so wretchedly wrong if this baby grew up and determined what He would do based on success. Instead, He was faithful until death. May we engage in the fruit of faithfulness. Merry Christmas family.

“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” ~St. Francis of Assisi~

Peace, and much love to you – Jeevo.

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