TRUE SIGNIFICANCE

There is a scene in Luke when a group of disciples return from one of their trips to the surrounding towns. Jesus had sent them out to learn and grow. They were excited at their success at casting out demons in the name of Jesus. As we talk today they probably would have said something like, "Lord you should of seen it. We said demon depart and they were running away in a heartbeat! We really put them in their place. What power we had!"
As always, Jesus looking at what was really important, gently said to them, "Do not rejoice that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven." Luke 10:20
He wanted them to know that they were important not because of what they had done, but because of who they were. They were loved by God! Yes what you do can be important, make you feel good and we should do all that we can to serve our Lord, but you have nothing to prove. You are approved! Your names are in the Book of Life and God Loves you just as you are. That is what really matters.
Where I want to go with this is that there are many of you out there that put your significance on what you accomplish in serving the Lord and others and in how others respond to it. As Jesus says above this absolutely is not the case!
When you pour out all your love, compassion and encouragement to others because of your love for the Lord, do you ever feel wearied and drained when they don't accept what you are giving? Frustrated when they accept it but are not changing or showing that they are receiving it by their walk with you or with the Lord. What is worse I bet you always feel responsible. When they do not respond to your love and encouragement you ache inside as if you need to do more, do something different. Right? In essence though you know you have done all you can and more than you believed you were possible of doing. You have indeed poured out all of yourself.
When in you know in your heart you have done all you can possibly do, do you then continue to beat yourself up over it? This is not only wasted energy but allows false thieves to steal the joy of who you are and how much you do love others. These things you must learn to leave to God! For you can only serve others as best you can. It is up to their hearts, to not only receive it, but to acknowledge it and grow. Just as one must accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and you cannot do that for them, so they must accept what you offer them in the same way. You cannot control their hearts and how they receive it.
My pastor puts this a great way. Their are some who are like the Galilee. Full of life and many use these waters to nourish themselves. The Galilee is like this because it gives as it receives, so it refreshes itself. Then there are those who are like the dead sea. They receive just like the Galilee, but they are stagnant, dead because they give nothing of what they receive. You see both bodies of water receive from the same river, the Jordan. One gives away freely and lives the other does not and is dead within.
If someone does not respond to the love, encouragement, or wearied efforts that you pour out to enrich them, it is not for you to feel false hurt, false guilt or that you must do more, when you have already given so much more than you ever thought capable of. It is up to those that receive what you give to allow it into their hearts. Then allow God to nourish this seed that you have planted. You cannot do this for them! Whether you succeed in serving others for the Lord or fail your love has not changed from one person to another. It is just in how it was received and allowed to grow or not to grow. In either case you are still loved and important to God just as you are! You must place those cares into the hand of God who can handle them. Let go of the false hurt or false criticism that would cripple you, rather than let it trouble you, run you down, or keep you from serving the Lord as you do so well. Just continue to serve and love others with the gifts He has given you and turn the rest over to God.
So many of you love as our Savior does and what a blessing you are. Others encourage as Barnabas and richly bless many, and there are others who serve tirelessly as Paul did. I know some who do all three and I am in awe of them. They apply all the lord has shown them and truly have been conformed into the image of Christ. Many have been touched by your love. Lifted up by your encouragement and prayer. For those who have not been blessed by your heartfelt efforts all you can do is plant the seed and then, let go and let God do the rest! So believe in yourself. In your Love. In your encouragement. In your hard labor for others. Dare to be human and just do your best and allow God to worry about the rest. For that is all He asks. That you take His hand and offer what He wants you too! Not for you, His child whom He loves so much, to put yourself into a pit of depression or despair because someone chose not to receive what God had you give. Jesus is perfect and there were those who walked away from Him constantly. Dare you say you must achieve more than Him?
God knows your heart of love and your efforts for Him. But remember what really matters is you don't have to prove anything, for you are already approved. Jesus Christ saw to that. What is more important to Jesus and what Jesus is saying above is what you achieve is nice, but He died for you, and you are far more important to God! Yes You! God loves you so much just because of who you are! In His eyes you are Precious! You are His child and He loves you so much just because you are you!