John Piper has a book called Don’t Waste Your Life–and before you think I’m criticizing Piper–I’m not. So, take a deep breath. I love the challenges Piper presents in Don’t Waste Your Life. That book has shaped my commitment to God and my passion to make the most of the short time I have on earth.
However, I know some really committed Christians that read Don’t Waste Your Life or a book about believers across the globe and throughout history that have lived faithful lives in radical circumstances. They read tales of unspeakable suffering and all of the sudden these dedicated believers feel as if the assignment God has given them is inadequate or of lesser value because they live in a comfortable house, spend their days changing diapers, teaching math facts or just simply aren’t suffering enough.
The Enemy uses comparison (because we have–what we think–is too little or too much or we think we are doing too little or too much) to steal our joy, distract us from our focus and cause us to lose trust in the God who knows right where we are and has the power to use our seemingly small lives for His BIG story.
I had a conversation yesterday that made me consider my own struggle with wanting to make a BIG difference in the world and how my focus can easily become on Bobi Ann and away from God’s story and I remembered a blog post I wrote in 2016. It is more of an excerpt from a book than my original thoughts but I read it again and God used it to calm my heart.
Maybe you need these words of reassurance today.
May 4, 2016
Spiritual People Are About Tiny Things
I’m taken by this excerpt from Mike Yaconelli’s book Messy Spirituality:
I’m taken by this excerpt from Mike Yaconelli’s book Messy Spirituality:
As you seek the adventure of God’s plan for your life, you discover it is in the insignificant and small where God shows up and moves in powerful ways.
There is a sweetness as we look back and remember His faithfulness and delight in God’s presence in the small.
What about this excerpt speaks to you?
