The Kind of People God Uses: Day Two
Day 2: Obedience Over Outcomes
Devotional
Have you ever felt pressure to measure your spiritual life by results? We live in a metrics-driven culture where success is quantified by numbers, growth charts, and visible outcomes. It's tempting to apply this same logic to our faith, thinking that if something isn't 'working' or producing immediate results, we must be missing God's will. Paul's approach challenges this thinking entirely. When he left Ephesus despite open doors and eager hearts, he demonstrated that faithfulness isn't measured by results but by obedience. Sometimes the clearest sign of God's will isn't that something is working, but that God simply says 'go.' This is liberating news for those of us who feel like our efforts aren't producing the dramatic results we hoped for. The parent faithfully praying for a prodigal child, the teacher investing in difficult students, the friend consistently showing up for someone who seems unchanged – your obedience matters more than the outcomes you can see. God doesn't advance His kingdom only through explosive revival moments. He works through ordinary faithfulness and long obedience. The daily choice to love your spouse well, to serve in your church consistently, to share your faith naturally – these aren't small things in God's eyes. They're the building blocks of His kingdom. When we focus on obedience rather than outcomes, we free ourselves from the burden of playing God. We're not responsible for changing hearts or producing results. We're simply called to be faithful with what He's placed in our hands today.
Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,
- Ephesians 4:15
Reflection Question
In what area of your life are you measuring success by results rather than by your faithfulness to God's calling?
“Faithfulness is measured not by results, but by obedience.”
- Pastor Mike Mura
Prayer
Father, help me to trust You with the outcomes while I focus on faithful obedience. Remind me that You see and value every act of faithfulness, even when I can't see the results. Give me peace in knowing that my job is to obey, and Yours is to bring the increase. Amen.