God Is Using You!

There's a story in W.A. Criswell's biography that illustrates how you can never measure the impact of your life.

W.A. tells about the day of his conversion: It was Autumn, 1920. His church was holding a revival and Criswell received permission to skip school to attend a special mid-day meeting.
At the close of the service, W.A. responded to the invitation and accepted Christ as his Savior.

Seven years later he was licensed to preach. He soon began a lifetime of ministry, including 55 years as pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas. He wrote more than 50 books, led untold thousands to Christ, trained hundreds for the ministry.

He was one of the most influential pastors in America during the 20th century.

But this story is really about the man who preached that 1920 revival which changed the course of Criswell's life. His name was John Hicks. He had been a guest in the Criswell's home during the two week revival, and young W.A. had been greatly impressed with the man's manner and character. This admiration compelled the 10 year old boy to attend every service and hang on every word the preacher spoke.

Years later, as Hicks lay dying in Baylor Hospital, his friend Wallace Basset sat with him during his final moments. Hicks said, "Wallace, my life is over, my preaching days are done, and I've never done anything for Jesus. I've failed, Wallace. I've failed."

Apparently John Hicks never knew about the special contribution he had made to the kingdom of God: how one revival meeting held in a small Texas town -- and specifically one sermon preached on an Autumn morning -- touched the heart of a young boy who would, in turn, touch the lives of millions in the years to come.

The words of Paul come to mind: "Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and teaching. Do not neglect your gift..." (1 Timothy 4:13-14)

Maybe you can't see the full results of your life at this moment. Maybe today your years of sacrifice and hard work resemble nothing. Remember this: You've accomplished things that you don't know about -- and you may never know about them on this side of glory.

What appears to be failure sometimes isn't failure at all. Stay devoted to your work. Do not neglect your calling. Do not neglect your gift. And during those days when measurable results remain elusive: do not give in to despair. God is using you.