Chilling Thought Indeed!

Have you ever prayed a prayer that sounds like this, "God, use me for whatever you want, however you want, whenever you want?" We all have. But, think about it, do we really mean it when we say "whatever, however, whenever?"

I was reading in Acts 25 & 26 today, which chronicled Paul's arrest and incarceration. It gripped me when King Agrippa (no pun intended..get it gripped...Agripppa...never mind) said that if Paul wouldn't have appealed to Caesar for his trial he would have been set free.

One has to ask themselves, "why would God allow him to go to jail for one small slip of the tongue?"

Then it dawned on me that the Bible tells us "the steps of a righteous man are ordered by God." What happened with Paul was designed by God because Paul's life was one that was lived in total abandonment before God.

Then came this chilling thought. If we are totally abandoned before God, then success is measured totally different than most of us think.

For example, I once heard of a missionary who spent his life in some remote country and never saw the results he dreamed of, only to have someone come behind him to reap what he sowed...and God designed it that way.

We all want earthly success and I believe God designed us with that drive. However, here is something to remember and to hang your hat on. The world's definition of success is always centered around results, but God's definition of success is always centered around obedience.

Chilling Thought Indeed!