It is always easy to start big with a dream to change the world. But then when people don't share your dream or when people come or don't listen, that dream can eventually see you simply living a chore. So how do you keep going with the joy of a starting dream? Paul was driven in his daily life by five convictions that we should also adopt. The first is that the message matters more than I do. Paul saw himself as the servant of the gospel. the gospel is God speaking. The message was not there for him, but he was there for the message. Secondly, the privilege of being a servant of the gospel is a gracious privilege from God. It is a gift, not a right. Paul experienced more beatings than he could remember, yet he called this lifestyle a grace and privilege. We don't even deserve the privilege of washing toilets for Jesus, but He has granted us so much more than that! The third principle is that I am nothing and I deserve nothing. If I am destroyed in ministry for Jesus, He has not lost anything of value. But the position Jesus graciously gives His people is priceless. The closer I get to the cross, the smaller I become and the greater Jesus becomes. If this is not true for you, you have an inaccurate perspective. The fourth conviction is that Jesus is worth more than anything else in the universe. The question is not whether or not all of the effort is worth it, the question is whether Jesus is worth it. he is to be worshiped alone, above all people and things. Do you see His majesty and beauty in this way? The fifth and final principle is that God has big and perfect and breathtaking plans for the church. You can be certain to succeed in persevering toward His goals. |
