Just One

I find myself in this place again.  It’s a familiar place that I pledged to stop visiting.  Yet, my wandering heart and mind… well, did a little wandering. 

I sometimes seek approval from others.  Truthfully, I seek approval from others more frequently than I’d like to admit. It’s not a conscious decision, it just seems to happen.  I’m currently wrestling with my humble beginnings as an author and speaker.  And so, I find myself checking on my success in worldly ways – I periodically check my Author Central page, Google Analytics, my book inventory, number of YouTube views, icontact tracking, Facebook responses, and I’m sure a few other measures and tools, too.  I’m embarrassed to admit it but acknowledgement is the first step to recovery, right?

Isn’t it enough that I write to bring honor and glory to God?  I’m doing it for Him.  So, why do I use my own limited understanding to judge my success?  If my work is truly an offering to Him, He can use it how He pleases.  He is more concerned about my heart, my obedience, and my faithfulness than He is about how many readers view my work.  In His time and His way, He’ll use it to touch just the right lives.  I need to trust Him, not numbers and statistics.

Perhaps you’re judging your success in life by others’ opinions and worldly standards. You want others to notice what you do.  You want them to approve.  You’d even appreciate a compliment or word of encouragement every now and then.  Ultimately, it’s God’s approval for which we long.  If we’re doing what He’s called us to do, we can trust that He notices, He approves, and He’s cheering for us.  Let Him be your audience and you’ll be a success every time.  

I’m committing to let Him be my audience of one.   I challenge you to do the same!

P.S. I wrote this entry yesterday when I made the commitment to take a break from checking my stats.  Today, I received a note in the mail (from someone who had ordered my book months ago) telling me how much the book had encouraged and blessed her.  God’s timing is perfect and when I was willing to give up measuring my success by those tools,  He sent a little encouragement my way.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. Colossians 3:23

Leave a Reply