success

2 Corinthians 11
24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods.
Once I was stoned.
Three times I was shipwrecked.
Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea.
26 I have traveled on many long journeys.
I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers.
I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas.
And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.
27 I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights.
I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food.
I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.

28 Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak without my feeling that weakness? Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger?

30 If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am. 31 God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, who is worthy of eternal praise, knows I am not lying. 32 When I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas kept guards at the city gates to catch me. 33 I had to be lowered in a basket through a window in the city wall to escape from him.

We live with such a success orientation here in America, & in the western world.

If Paul was alive today, we'd think he certainly did have his act together.

We'd probably give him John Maxwell's "Developing the Leader Within You" & talk to him about influence & working with people better.

We'd tell him to plan better so he wouldn't have to do without.

We'd tell him to check out a little more closely cruise lines when traveling from place to place.

And we'd think his like was pretty much a disaster.
Would you go on a mission trip with him?!
I doubt he did many days at the beach, or shopping in the bazaar.
I bet he didn't even have T shirts made so we could tell people all about how much we did for the Lord this summer with Paul in Macedonia.

And we wouldn't talk about how weak we are - we have to put this strong that says I'm-well-put-together, I've-got-it-under-control, I'm-a-great-leader.

As we go off on our missionary journey to Blairsville, I have no illusions about me. This wasn't my idea - it clearly was God's. We all know my strengths, & my weakness. All I'm gonna do is go - & let God be & do whatever it is He's dreamed for this next season in our lives to be, & be done.

Whatever happens next is all Him & very little me. I eager to see what it is. I'll tell you about it here, no filtering, no spinning, no brave face. You'll be getting it just the way it is.

And we all know that whatever good that happens, whatever ripple effects are released, it's to Him be ALL the glory.