Wow- that sounded pretty depressing. Sorry.
I'm really not on the edge or caught up in the throes of a mid-life crisis or anything. But, there are times when I wonder if I am making any genuine, lasting difference in the world. Of course, the difficulty with the question always lies in our definition of significance. Shaped by a culture in which visible, tangible success or achievement tends to be the standard by which to judge, most of us fall by default into categories other than "world-changer." And so we wonder, Has my life really counted for anything?
I was reading in Deuteronomy today, while wrestling with some of these questions of significance, and received a word of assurance. In preparation for claiming the land God had given them, Moses was recounting to the people of Israel their journey in the wilderness. The natural assumption would be that wandering in the wilderness is anything but a time of significant purpose or meaning; it appears to be nothing more than time wasted, the unfortunate result of their failure and lack of faith. But surprisingly, Moses makes this observation in Deuteronomy 2:7, "The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast desert. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything."
God is able to redeem our time, even the times of apparent wandering, those days of pushing through the wilderness. We all have our treks through the desert, moments when we feel like we are spinning our wheels in the sand, getting nowhere in life and achieving nothing of importance. Sometimes, like the people of Israel, I find myself there because of my own decisions and choices. Other times, the wilderness seems to surround me for no obvious reason. Either way, our paths through the desert do not have to translate into meaninglessness or a lack of purpose. There is One who is able to redeem all things, who delights in bringing purpose from the seemingly pointless, who creates significance in the midst of the unexceptional. What brings significance and purpose to my days is always the reality that the Lord my God has been with me, He has watched over my journey and blessed the work of my hands.
Does my life and work really count for anything? Even in the middle of the deserts that give rise to such a question, the answer can always be yes. When the visible success or achievements we hope for seem to elude us, the answer can still be yes. When we fail to create a blip on the world's radar of importance, the answer can remain yes. There is one thing that gives us that assurance: the Lord is with us, He is watching over our journey and blessing the work of our hands.
Enough said.
2 comments:
That same question runs through my mind regularly...thanks for your words from the Scripture which speak to such questions
I love that assurance...that God redeems time...and redeems our meanderings. What a good reminder to anyone in ministry, especially, who confuses 'success' with faithfulness. Those two concepts can overlap when defined properly and biblically...but in the church, we often defines success, impact, and productivity in ways that are not similarly weighted in the Scriptures.
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