“I want to make my life count. I want to do big things for the kingdom. I only want to do things that have an eternal significance.”
Have you ever prayed such prayers? I know I definitely have.
In fact, when I was getting serious about my relationship with Christ, this is what I regularly prayed for because I wanted my life to count. I wanted to make a difference in this world. I didn’t want to live for what was temporal—my fame and my glory—but for what was eternal.
I wanted to be like the great missionary, William Carey, who famously said, “Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.”
If I wanted to see great things from God, I figured that there was only one way to get there—by doing “great” things for God. Not small and insignificant things, but rather, big, significant, and influential things.
My intentions were right; the only problem was my heart—my prideful and self-centered heart.
I judged doing “great” things for God and kingdom significance according to size. Here’s what I thought:
- Pastoring at a small church = Small impact
- Speaking at a small conference = Not significant
- Having a small platform = Lack of the right gifting
So to do “great” things for God, I had to do. I had to be the pastor. I had to be the speaker. I had to be the preacher. I had to be the hero.
I wonder what would’ve happened if I knew earlier that God wanted me to be a hero-maker, rather than the hero? I wonder if I would’ve gone through as much heart break and sorrow?
[Read more…] about What’s Wrong With This Statement? “I want to do great things for God”