There is a form of teaching in Christian circles that says we can be super Christians if we just "Let go and let God".
Somehow we're to cease from our struggles and God will come into our lives and perform amazing things through us. These false teachers suggest we're "defeated" because we won't let God work His will in us.
This erroneous teaching fails to read the Bible accurately .
It's unlikely another prophet in all the Old Testament was as successful in his ministry as Jonah. Through 40 days of preaching, Jonah's sermons turned the entire wicked nation of the Assyrians around. They repented for their sinful ways and from their hearts served the Lord.
Jonah was a rebellious and pouting prophet, yet he was richly blessed in his ministry in spite of himself. We might call him God's most successful failure.
On the other hand, prophetic ministries like Isaiah's and Jeremiah's didn't see a nation turn to the Lord. The Lord prophesied to Isaiah that his ministry would be fruitless.
God doesn't have super Christians in His family.
In various ways all of us are broken and seemingly without merit. Yet it pleases God to use us anyway.
Don't be discouraged if you seem to be able to do little for the Lord.
Let others think that God is firstly interested in "success"—as the world measures success. Some misguided Christians today would say that Isaiah and Jeremiah were failures in serving the Lord because they didn't see masses of people repent as Jonah did.
The Lord isn't looking for us to do spectacular things for him. What He wants most from you as a Christian is what is described in Psalm 51:17 "My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise." (NIV)
The craving to be super Christians is dangerous because it can sinfully feed our egos as we strive to outperform other Christians around us. Seeking to be number one in our church work is a wrong ambition.
Worrying because we don't have the "success" that other believers seem to have is a waste of your time and emotional energy.
Isaiah and Jeremiah were actually "successful" because they served God as He requested. They humbled themselves and accepted the lowly place in life to which God had appointed them.
Are you willing to be ignored and be like Isaiah and Jeremiah?
Are you satisfied to simply offer to the Lord a humble spirit, or are you anxious to be a superstar in the Christian church?
What the Lord really wants is your heart. Give it to Him today.