Dear Woodland Hills Family,
You may be immune to this sort of thinking. I am not. It happens whenever I step back to take a look at my life’s accomplishments. It’s especially acute when I compare my accomplishments with others’ (yes, I know comparisons are dangerous). Inevitably, these look-backs produce varying degrees of discouragement. The voice in my head says things like:
-Where are those noteworthy contributions you’ve generated?
-What significant impact have you made?
-What has become of those large-scale changes-for-the-better
you’d hoped to initiate?
-And don’t forget–time is marching on relentlessly! How realistic
are those dreams now?
During one of my recent bouts with such discouragement I came to the story of Noah in Genesis 6:8-9. “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord… Noah was a righteous man; blameless in his time. Noah walked with God.”
Upon reflection, here’s what I wrote in my journal:
Lord, I am not positioned for greatness; I haven’t made noteworthy accomplishments; my gifting is not remarkable; and I have never been at the top of my class. My report card is not going to be very exciting and there’s little I can do about it…
But through Noah’s life I hear You telling me that significant contribution and impact are within my reach. I can do what Noah did–I can be a righteous man; I can be blameless in my time; I can walk with You. And by this I, like Noah, can find favor in Your eyes.
Lord, I resolve (again, for the thousandth time) to live today and every day in the pattern of Noah: righteous & blameless & walking with You. I choose these over the desire for accomplishment and visibility. Your favor shall be sufficient accomplishment for me.
Blessings,
