Failed?

Years ago, I accepted a challenge to become a devotional editor for an international missionary society. Trouble was, I had to raise my own salary as most missionaries do. But the fact I worked remotely at home meant my mission field was only as wide as my keyboard, though in truth it spanned worldwide. People couldn't grasp the concept that I was not headed to Africa or Cambodia even though more people read our devotionals each month than most missionaries with boots on the ground would encounter during a lifetime.

I tried every way I knew to glean financial support. I never became fully funded and couldn't make even a decent poverty-level living. It tied my guts in knots. I'd cry in my sleep. I’d whimper on my knees. I so wanted to serve in this way. I felt that I had let God down. I had failed...

But did I?

"No," God whispered into my soul. While readership didn't skyrocket, it increased and remained steady. I mentored over 35 writers, many who went on to write books. Even more have graciously volunteered their works each month for years, God bless them. And though I lived in low-income housing, I never starved.

I felt my Lord smiling and saying as he did to Isaiah, "I, even I, have spoken; yes, I have called her. I will bring her, and she will succeed in her mission" (Isaiah 48:17- gender changed). I learned a great lesson — never compare myself to others using human standards of measurement. Success to God is obedience and persistence.

Wherever you are in life, God can use you. Stay obedient. We all have a mission field but we need to let God define it.

Lord, use us as you see fit in the way you choose for the time you ordain. Let us not fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others or seeking results. That is in your hands as long as we remember that we are firmly in yours.

Throughout the Day: Whenever you are tempted to evaluate your work for the Lord, remember that only God should do so. Don’t compare yourself to others. Instead, thank him for all he is doing through you as you walk with him.

Song of Reflection: "My Worth is Not in What I Own" by Keith & Kristyn Getty When relevant, we’ll include a song that can help you reflect further on today’s subject. If you have song recommendations that are relevant to today’s passage or devotional, feel free to send them to us!