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Wednesday, October 25, 2006

It's Not All About Success

Today, I happened upon a quote from Mother Teresa: "Obedience, not success."

Who would have known that so much could be expressed in only three words. It reminds me of how the Bible itself can jam so much meaning into the most seemingly simple passages. What a wise, Godly woman she truly was. She understood, probably more than most humans ever will, the concept of success in God's eyes. It's not about how many awards you get, it's not about how well-known or liked you are, it's not about how many great things that you have done. It's just about simple obedience.

Dictionary.com defines obedient this way:

Dutifully complying with the commands, orders, or instructions of one in authority.

It made me think, "Am I complying to the Lord's commands in my life or am I doing my own thing?" I won't pain you with my answer to myself. It isn't a bad thing to be reminded that there is One who is much greater than I who has all authority. The bad thing would be if I didn't act on that truth. So, my prayer today is "Lord, help me to pursue obedience NOT success."

Thursday, October 19, 2006

Pure and Genuine Religion

James 1:27, "Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." (NLT)

I have heard folks talk about their "life verse". You know, the one verse in the Bible that encapsulates who they are and what God has created them to be. It felt a bit odd to me when someone talked about this, since I didn't really have one. Don't get me wrong, I don't think everyone HAS to have a life verse. In fact, I'm sure that many don't. Most folks would probably point to a number of verses that express their life better than their own words. At this point in my life, I don't think I could articulate my life purpose better than James 1:27.

Monday, October 16, 2006

Back From Russia

I'm finally back from Smolensk, Russia and recovered from the wonderful jet-lag. It was a great trip to a new region in Russia. It never occured to me several years ago that I would come to love the Russian people as much as I now do. I'll post some pictures as soon as I have the chance.

There's just something about a mission trip that pulls you closer to the Lord. I needed that time with Him in the last couple weeks. It was good to be back into the place of service that I love so much.

See, I have a good excuse for no postings in the last couple weeks. There's not much opportunity for internet access in Smolensk. I've found that it isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I must admit it is good to be back.