No hands up? That doesn’t seem to be a goal many of us would set for ourselves. Yet, God has other ideas. Remember… His ways are not our ways.

Oswald Chambers in his daily devotional My Utmost for His Highest takes us down a different path than might be expected. Chambers says:

“The New Testament notices things we completely overlook. When Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” he is elevating a state which counts for nothing according to our standards—the state of being poor.”

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus sets our thinking on a different track through what we call The Beatitudes. And that’s where we see:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:3 NASB

Chambers calls it the “Ministry of the Unnoticed.” That’s not where most of us live. We want our ministries and our work to count for something. To that end, we focus on doing things that get noticed. We count numbers, we stack up ministry stories, and we let others (donors?) know how successful we are. That usually comes from a right spirit, wanting to be an influence for the Lord Jesus.

But let’s flip the coin over. Who have been the people who have most influenced you on your spiritual journey? Chambers suggests it is not the ones who overtly seek to influence us.

“Who are the people who have influenced us most? Not the ones who thought they did, but those without the slightest notion of their impact, those who radiated the unconscious loveliness of the Lord’s touch.”

I have often been captivated by a quote from some of Oswald Chambers’ writings.

“If God chooses for you to labor in total obscurity, what is that to you?”

We live in a world that rewards success with recognition and promotion. God’s ways are not man’s ways. The Lord’s definition of success is this: obedience. Whether that leads to accolades and recognition or not. Simply being obedient to God’s call and direction for our lives and ministry. It was the late Dr. Charles Stanley who would often say, “Obey God, and leave the consequences to Him.”

A well-known Scripture underscores that principle.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;

    do not depend on your own understanding.

Seek his will in all you do,

    and he will show you which path to take.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT

Poverty isn’t a goal. It is the attitude of the child of God who recognizes that he or she is bankrupt apart from the grace of our Lord Jesus. We have the benefit of His grace and His favor when we empty ourselves of our pride and simply rest in the sufficiency of our Lord.

God’s best,