How We Will Be Measured
Ruth Ann Stites, Staff Writer
In our Reflection for Week Twenty-One, I told the stories of two people who lived about 3000 years apart in time, Julia Child and King David. Not only did they live millennia apart, but their deeds were also vastly different, in detail at least. Both fought for their nation, and both had a strong influence on their culture. I concluded with the implied question; how do we determine the impact a person has on his or her world? To answer this question correctly we need to decide from what perspective we should measure success and what guidelines we should employ to do so.
Both the ancient king and the modern chef were larger than life personalities. One as a ruler establishing his kingdom and the other as a popular culture media mavin. Yet they each contributed more to their nations than simply being noted for their greatest prominence. The same is true for each of us, well-known or obscured from public view. So, how do we determine what is most important in our lives, what things we should be known for?
First, it matters what perspective we employ. From a “security of the nation” perspective, Julia McWilliams Child’s war service was far more important than her renown as the French chef. Second, it matters what rules we apply to measure success. King David offers us the example of both success and failure as a ruler according to both God’s and human’s rules (1 Chron. 14:17; 18:14; I Chron. 21; 2 Sam. 7).
How, then, should we evaluate our lives? First, we should take God’s perspective on what is important and unimportant for humans to achieve. Second, we should apply His rules for conduct to our achievements. When we do this sort of examination, we may well find that our most lasting impact was not what we are “famous” for, but something altogether different.
An example of perspective comes from the life of Pearl Goode. Have you heard of her? I hadn’t until I started writing this post. She did something essential to support the ministry of Billy Graham and his evangelistic team…she prayed. The power of her part in their ministry is demonstrated in the following quote from Ed Taylor:
When asked about the spiritual success of his ministry over the years, Billy would be quick to say, “The three most important things you can do in ministry are to pray, pray, pray.” That’s exactly what Pearl did. She prayed! So used of the Lord was Pearl, that at her memorial service, Ruth Bell Graham spoke these encouraging words concerning her: “Here lie the mortal remains of much of the secret of Bill’s ministry.”
From the perspective of evangelistic power, this little-known woman was a VIP.
But perspective is only half the equation. What rules do we apply to evaluate our effectiveness? I thought about this for some time. We could approach it by looking at the great disciplines of the faith such as prayer, evangelism, and good deeds, but that can too easily become legalistic as we put notches in our belt for every prayer time, Scripture reading, or act of service. It is illuminating to evaluate our doing, but I think our being may be a better yardstick to our effectiveness. That is why I chose this passage from Philippians to share with you.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Phil. 4:8-9)
The Apostle Paul instructs his readers to “think about such things.” Thinking (logizomai in the Greek) means, among other things, to consider, reckon, come to an estimate, or dwell upon according to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance. When we contemplate and nurture the character qualities Paul lists in this passage, when we emulate others who exhibit this kind of character, we have an exacting measure for our effectiveness as Cross Disciples worthy of and pleasing to the Master.
(Photo credit: R A Stites, Big Spring, Big Spring State Park, Missouri. The spring’s average flow is 286 million gallons a day)
