Impact
Grasp the mystery of it
How do we measure the spiritual impact of our lives?
We can’t.
Even when I’m following good direction, and seeing God’s prophetic words come true on the battlefield of my life, I can’t measure it.
Someone said watching prophetic words unfold is like watching a baby grow: the longer the gestation period, the bigger the baby.
We see as picture of this in life.
About 20 days for a mouse
Two months for a dog
Five months for a sheep
Nine months for a human
18-22 months for an elephant
I think of two things I’ve been called by God to do: write and speak.
After many years of this, the last dozen as a follower of Jesus, I have no worldly success. My website handles very little traffic. My social media following (before I ditched social media altogether) was modest at best.
War Correspondence too has only a small (but thankfully loyal) readership.
What is the measure of success for all this then? What’s my yardstick?
It may be that the Lord only calls me to influence one person in my whole lifetime.
I’ve spoken to many hundreds of people about Jesus, since becoming His follower, in person, at retreats, in churches, teaching in schools, preaching on busses, trains and street corners. To my knowledge, I’ve led no one to salvation in Christ.
(And yes – I’m very equipped to evangelise, highly trained in fact, and with the required desire and boldness)
And yet, I must take hope in what Paul told the Corinthian church:
“I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase”. He told them he wasn’t called to baptise, but to preach the gospel.
Maybe I’m just a seed planter, or a waterer, not a harvester. In any event I belong to a good company.
I must be content to remain a green recruit in the faith if I’m not called someday to be a general. It shouldn’t matter.
Evangelism too often looks like the late Billy Graham, or David Kolenda from Christ for All Nations – drawing huge crowds to the gospel with thousands making dramatic commitments to Christ.
But that’s not the only picture.
Consider J.R.R. Tolkien. What is he best known for? The Lord of the Rings.
What’s arguably the most important thing he ever did? He helped lead his non-believing friend C. S. Lewis to Christ.
Maybe I’m only here to impact one person. Perhaps in eternity I get to find out.
Even if not, I can be more content to be a doorkeeper in God’s house than to seek fame and fortune elsewhere.
It’s not my call.
I don’t write the orders carried out on the spiritual battlefield. I’m simply asked to execute them faithfully.
Image by Cem Gizep via Pexels
An encouraging message for a greenhorn Christian like myself who has caught himself in the thought of wondering when God will finally let me impress and amaze.
If I understand your dispatch, the answer is that "when" doesn't even matter.
We follow Jesus faithfully. Whatever consequence follows from our obedience is God's perfect will for all of us, and will necessarily be the best of all possible outcomes.... or, more simply: come what may, we follow Jesus. He will show us the way.