Dear SCC & Friends,
…at work in you… ~Philippians 2:13
Reflection #309
Some people like recognition and some people don’t, but we all need it even if it’s not our primary “love language.” God has created us that way, and to greater or lesser degrees recognition and affirmation remain central to our lives. In business I was once told I had done a magnificent job, and they were so glad I worked there… On another occasion at a different job, I was told I’d be nothing but a “first-class” ditch digger… I appreciated the fact that at least he said “first-class.” There are seasons in our lives that fluctuate between the joy of the mountaintop and the depths of the valley… Regardless of circumstances, He is at work in and through our lives at all times in all places. Ultimately, it is the Lord’s approval and good pleasure that matter most. Os Guiness points to the “Audience of One”… We cannot define or decide our own achievements and our own success. It is not for us to say what we have accomplished. It is not for us to pronounce ourselves successful. It is not for us to spell out what our legacy has been. Indeed, it is not even for us to know… We are the clay, and You are our Potter, and all of us are the work of Your hand. ~Isa. 64:8
I once heard a sermon entitled, “See Me, saith the Lord.” The preacher said that he had prepared for weeks and was hoping to share something deep, impacting and life changing… His preparation time seemed to go nowhere, as he got stuck on these words, “See Me, saith the Lord.” This was a “mega conference” attended by thousands of mature Christians. He studied, dug through commentaries and prayed, hoping to have something new and profound for such an astute gathering… but to no avail… You guessed it… “See Me, saith the Lord.” was to be the totality of His sermon… over and over He kept driving home the point, “See Me… See Me…” I’ve heard thousands of sermons in my life, but I have never forgotten that one… seeing the Lord in every opportunity and circumstance… Jesus is the center of the center no matter where we are or where we are going. “See Me saith the Lord”… so clear, so necessary, so obvious yet absolutely essential… For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. ~Philip. 2:13 Keep up the good work!
Made for these days,
Kevin