In an episode that is supposed to discuss success, the podcast team experienced lots of setbacks. Wesley and Jordan are still out and our guest had to reschedule. But Jeremy and TJ took it all in stride and continued discussing the differences between the world's definition of success and God's definition.
Jeremy recently read Singing in the Fire by Faith Cooke, a great little book about Christians enduring setbacks, failures, and martyrdom. One such person was Alen Gardiner, a missionary whose life was filled with trial and misfortune. He and his team sailed to Tierra del Fuego, an archipelago off the southernmost tip of South America. When they landed, two small boats sunk. Resupply ships were delayed and then canceled. As his team died from hunger, cold, or scurvy, Gardiner never lost his faith in the Christ who sent him there.
Another story is Dr. William Leslie. He felt called to the Congo in the 1920s and spent 17 years evangelizing and telling people about Jesus. During his ministry he had only one convert. He came back to America and died nine years later. In 2010, about 80 years after he left the Congo, a group went back into the area. The group found a 1,000-seat cathedral and a network of smaller, connected churches. The group was able to trace this massive Christian movement to Dr. William Leslie who died believing himself to be a failure.
Remember that you are not called to success but only to faithfulness. The results are not up to you, they are up to God.
