Topic: Choosing Significance Over Success – Daily Devotional by Proverbs 31 Ministries 9 December 2020

Choosing Significance Over Success

“This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:8 (NIV)

Ever since God breathed His story into existence, we’ve been drawn to the stories of heroes.

We are inspired by brave warriors who stand up for justice, such as firefighters who run into buildings when everyone else is running out. Heroes don’t do what they do for recognition, credit or fame. They do it because they can take something wrong in the world and set it right again.

Isn’t it interesting that when we read these stories, we don’t consider ourselves in the same category? Maybe we’re asking some of the right questions, though:

God, how do You want to use me?
What are my gifts, and who are they for?

Then God presents opportunities for us to take the answers to those questions and put them into action.

The truth is that every one of us is called to be heroic for God’s Kingdom. That means prioritizing a life of eternal significance over worldly success.

That can be hard for us to accept. For most of us, our success in life has been determined by how well we perform inside worldly grading systems. Whether it’s school and report cards, or the adult world of commission structures and performance reviews, in order to gain success, we have to measure up well inside the system. Believe me, I know. For many years, my ultimate goal was success. Get the highest grades possible. Earn recognition and awards.

But do we want success at the cost of God’s will being done?

It’s not that God doesn’t want us to be successful; He wants us to experience the abundant life He has to offer.

Jesus came to offer that abundant life by turning things upside down. He came to tell us about what rewards look like in His Kingdom. He came to invite believers to partner with Him in building His Church.

As leaders (and we are all leaders in some way), the goal is to shift our mindsets. We aim for significance by being major heroes in building God’s Kingdom instead of minor characters, or worse, players who never got in the game. How do we do that?

Let’s flip that familiar grading system upside down, starting at the “A” and working our way to “F.” Here is how we can prioritize a life of eternal significance:

A ‒ Answer
We answer the call and ask Jesus Christ into our hearts, declaring faith in Him as an initial act of faith. It’s the call to conversion. He knocks on the door, and we accept what He’s offering — Himself.

B ‒ Believe
My first prayer to invite God into my life was on the floor of a bathroom during the middle of my first cancer treatment. From that prayer to actually believing in Jesus — not just saying it but believing Him as God’s true Son — was a longer, more complicated process. God calls us to rise up in faith and truly believe, in every way, that Jesus is who He says He is.

C ‒ Change
God calls us to live a holy life by following the example of Christ. We need active discipleship, someone to show us what the transformed life really looks like. Is there someone who strives for godly living who will walk alongside you as you grow and mature spiritually?

D ‒ Devotion
This is where we are faithful to fulfill the roles we’ve been given as daughters, wives, mothers, teachers, mentors, neighbors and workers. Wherever God has placed us, we can exercise devotion to fill those roles in the way He has called us to fill them.

F ‒ Fruitfulness
As followers of Christ, God challenges us to be fruitful. How do we know if the fruit we’re producing is fruit that lasts? The only thing that will last after this world passes away is souls. People are the crown of His creation, what He values more than anything else.

As we aim to make God-honoring, fruit-bearing choices, there are two important questions to ask:

Is this choice contributing to the winning of souls?
Does this decision help make a disciple?

When what we say and do honors God and invites others into a relationship with Him, we lead a life of significance.

Father, help me to prioritize the building of Your Kingdom above all else and live faithfully and fully in light of eternity. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY

John 15:16, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit — fruit that will last …” (NIV)