I’m on the road with the eXtreme Tour in Las Vegas. Our bands are playing in the alley of a series of low income housing apartments only streets from the Strip. It’s an acoustic set to attract people to the main event that will take place tonight. A few people gathered on this night.
I was talking with the pastor who brought us. He was bummed at the turnout. He would do the exact thing in the past and hundreds would turn out. He lamented the fact that many he knew no longer lived here. After talking with a local businessman, I discovered that this was really transitional housing. People who come to get jobs at the hotels, need low cost housing at the beginning and then move out once they get on their feet. Thus, many of the people with whom he had built relationships with had already moved out. He was constantly starting over with new people.
He wasn’t feeling too successful. I asked him a series of questions. Using his answers, the Lord helped him see that though in his own eyes he was not successful, in the Lord’s eyes he was very significant. The Lord had him planting and watering seeds in these people’s lives. And when reaping time came, he would be rejoicing with the harvesters. He had listened to Jesus and was indeed following, which is real significance.
Don’t confuse success and significance. If you do, you will stop following Jesus out of discouragement. You keep listening to and following Jesus and you will be significant. Leave the success up to Him.
“S” ret Free Nowww