Who's Counting On You?

We're Counting On You!

Does the thought of others counting on you frighten you a little, or maybe even a lot? Is it even "overwhelming" at times?

As a Christian, you count on Jesus every day. You count on His "Faithfulness." You count on His keeping you. You count on Him completing you. You count on Him for everything, or at least you "should" be counting on Him.

Psalm 91:4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. 

Have you ever thought about how many people count on "You"? Have you considered being someone people around you can count on? If you are in Christ and He is in you, then it should be natural to want to be faithful and be a person that others can count on. That is one of the key ways that people will see "Christ in you"!

Thousands of fans in Camden Yards baseball stadium stood to their feet on September 20, 1998 to honor one man, Cal Ripken, Jr. Exuberant fans cheered for twenty minutes, stopping the game to salute the Baltimore Orioles shortstop. Why? Other players had better statistics. Five other Orioles held higher batting averages that year; three hit more home runs.

The fans cheered Cal because he set the new record for most consecutive games played, which was 2,632. 

• They cheered his faithfulness.  

• He was dependable.  

• They knew they could count on Cal.

Did you know people are counting on you? You need to succeed not only for yourself, but also for those who are depending on you. I am learning this day by day as I work hard to become less that God might become more, through me. I am growing in Christ first, so that I might be able. Able to do what? Able to be faithful, first to my Lord and then, I can be faithful to those who count on me.  "That's a lot of pressure," you may be thinking. Sure it is, but we need that pressure. That's what keeps us going. If people weren't counting on us we would never reach our potential.

Take a minute and think about the people who are counting on you. Write their names on a list. There are probably more people than you realize. Revisit that list daily and see how many more people are added to that list as you realize, "They might not count on me for every need, nor should they, but many people count on me for some things." Am I a faithful man or woman of God? Do I show up for every game? Am I locked in my house and not out in the Church, the community, the marketplace, where people need what I have?

Begin every day by telling yourself, "Today, God, my family and my friends are counting on me. And I'm not going to let them down." Faithfulness starts with the little things of life. First be faithful in your relationship to the perfect Faithful One, Jesus.

A popular book says, "Don't sweat the small stuff." But there is some small stuff you need to sweat if you expect to get ahead. Jesus said, "You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things" (Matt 25:23). The more faithful you are, the larger your list will grow of people who count on you. That's a good thing. The world says it's not. The world says, count on your government, we know what's best for you. Are you going to be of the world or of the Kingdom of God?

You can't be perfect but you can be faithful and that's all God expects.

* Steve