Success=Faithfulness (March Update)

 

Hello there! I hope this update finds you well. 

I’ve been going through 1 Corinthians with the girls in my peer team, and there are so many themes that I could talk for hours about! It has ministered to me so powerfully. In addition to reading the book itself, I am reading a Gordon Fee commentary to get more out of it which has been really helpful.

A couple sentiments from Chapter 4 have been sticking with me that I wanted to open with:

1. Success = Faithfulness

In this chapter, Paul is pushing back against the Corinthians judgements of him and his apostleship. He says, 

“This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.” - 1 Cor 4:1-4

The Corinthians were looking at their leaders and boasting in who discipled them. Paul is arguing that Apollos, Cephas, and he are mere servants, and that what matters is being baptized in the name of JESUS. But what strikes me (and what Fee commented on) is that in verse 2, Paul says what is required of those who have been given a trust is faithfulness. Faithfulness with what God has given you marks success; not whatever outcome you perceive is success. Often, I let worldly expectations or my pride determine what success in ministry should look like. You can fill in the blank with any scenario- success in parenting, marriage, friendships, church leadership, your job, etc. There are so many influences trying to tell us what success really looks like. But Paul says, ultimately, God sees faithfulness as success. Paul cares little about what people around him think, and what he even thinks of himself- the only one who can judge is the Lord. I say that to encourage anyone in a tough situation or who doesn’t think that what they’re doing is enough! That God’s power is made perfect in our weakness. In our weakness, his power can shine through, and we can be a testament of the goodness of the Gospel. In Chapter 3 of 1 Corinthians, Paul talks about God being the only one who can make something grow- we can be faithful with planting and watering, but we can’t make anything-or anyone- grow. So wherever God has called you, or whoever He has called you to- be faithful. And we can trust that our unchanging and loving God will do what only He can do! 

2. In our weakness, God is made strong

Following up with the previous sentiment… I don’t know about you guys, but I find it SO hard to be open and vulnerable in my weakness. I wish that 2 Corinthians 12:9 said, “for my power is made perfect in your strength and power!” But instead, it is in our weakness that God’s grace becomes so tangible and evident. I find myself chasing after the things of the world… success, power, money, the next big thing, approval, etc. in my sinful nature. But I have to remember what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4 when he is contrasting the Corinthians aim to be strong and powerful with the apostles’ way of living and how they are regarded by the world: 

“We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the sum of the earth, the garbage of the world- right up to this moment.”

A statement that the commentary said in regards to this has stuck with me- “If we rejected the world as Jesus did, we would know more what it feels like to be “scum” in the eyes of the “beautiful” or “powerful” people in the world.”

Woah. Do you feel called out right now?! Cause I feel like I just got ran over. I feel like God has just invited me to think about what it looks like to be rejected by the world, rather than to seek approval from it. To ask myself that question, if the “beautiful”, “powerful”, “successful”, (fill in the blank) people of the world would regard me as so different from them because of who Christ calls me to be? So I wanted to just leave that with you too, and see if God invites you to think through any of these things.

Those are just some things that have been on my heart.  Please pray that I would finish this semester well, and be faithful with who God has given me to pastor this school year. That I would look to God for approval and wisdom and guidance, and that I would continue to let his power be made perfect in my weakness, as his humble servant. 

Here are some pics for the month from ministry! 

Johnny and I celebrate 3 years of marriage! We went to the Stars game to celebrate and they won in overtime :))))

This is one of my students, Jasmine, who asked me to be her matron-of-honor in her wedding! So we got to celebrate her a lot this month, which was really special. 

Jessica was in my small group her freshman year… she is now in her second year of being on staff with me at UTD FOCUS! True full circle moment, and a testament of God’s goodness and faithfulness. I love this girl so much. 

Emily and I led core together my first year on FOCUS staff as an intern. Now I get to continue in our friendship with her adorable 1 year old son, William. Again, another full-circle moment and a testament of community standing the test of lots of years and life changes! 

At Jasmine’s traditional Nigerian wedding! Johnny was also in the bridal party, and we got to wear traditional Nigerian wear for the ceremony. It was really neat to be invited into Jasmine’s culture! Pic above is just Johnny and I; pic to the right is Johnny and I with Jared and Jasmine.

Mykayla (middle) and Kathryn (left) are in my peer team this year. We get to spend weekly time together! Mykayla got ENGAGED so we were able to celebrate her! 

Andrea is on staff with me and I get to supervise her this year! We meet weekly to talk through ministry and her girls together. She is a favorite at my house as you see her here pictured with my dog, Moose. Moose is a tough nut to crack, but clearly he loves Andrea! As do I :)

Thank you for tuning in this month!! Keep praying for me, and you are in my prayers too, always. 

Love, Kylie