Which Result?

Have you ever tried to do something nice, and have it blow up in your face? This literally happened to me this week. On Wednesday night we were planning to share about Zambia and Malawi in our home church, and that afternoon, a friend and I made fritters to pass out that evening. One of them literally exploded in my face and the hot oil burned me.

Anyway, back to the important stuff. Maybe you feel God has told you to do something, you make plans accordingly, spend time preparing, praying, getting excited, then head out to implement the awesome. 

And suddenly it all unexpectedly blows up in your face. 

Perhaps the person doesn’t want whatever gift you’ve planned to give them. Perhaps your efforts are seen as an offense by the receiver. Or maybe your well-planned event doesn’t come off the way you imagined, and is riddled with issues and frustrations. Or you fumble your way verbally through a well-studied lesson. 

All of these things can make us feel discouraged because they didn’t accomplish what we envisioned. Our goal is to have an amazing experience and bless someone else. And when that doesn’t happen, we think what we’ve done is a waste of time. 

The problem with that kind of thinking is that it’s results-focused. Whatever happens in the hearts of people is totally God’s thing, I can’t take credit for any of it. So why do I think the end result is the important part of the whole experience? 

I believe sometimes God calls us to do things, and our idea of ‘results’ aren’t what He’s after at all. Perhaps the results He wants are changes inside us: for our eyes to be opened to the needs of others, learning to discipline ourselves to prepare well for things we do in His name, facing frustrations with patience and humility, accepting rejection with grace. 

Lord help me not be so concerned for the results in others, but for what You would do in me. 

Philippians 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.