It's wonderfully freeing to realize that our value does not depend on our acheivements. Success does not define who we are or why we matter. The single most important thing about us is unaffected by our performance: we are deeply loved by the God who made us in His own image.
There is nothing we can do to make God love us more.
There is nothing we can do to make God love us less.
Our greatest fulfillment will always be found by living out of that knowledge. I am loved. God knew what he was doing when He made me. He has great things in store for me because He loves me.
While some of us can achieve success some of the time, no one can achieve success all of the time. In the end it's totally freeing to give our best efforts to God, leaving the results in his hands and knowing that He loves us no matter how things turn out. If success depends on us, then life is full of pressure to perform. But since we're loved either way, the pressure's off!
Monday, January 31, 2011
success and failure
Dr. Carmen Imes is the Associate Professor of Old Testament at Biola University in La Mirada, CA, and serves the broader church through teaching, speaking, writing, and creating YouTube videos. She earned a PhD in Biblical Theology (Old Testament) from Wheaton College under Dr. Daniel Block, an MA in Biblical Studies from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (Charlotte), and a BA in Bible and Theology from Multnomah University. She and her husband, Daniel, served as missionaries with SIM 15 years. They have three children: Ana, Emma, and Easton.
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Thank you so much for that reminder.
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