taking a long view

Every now and then, we in the church need to step back and take a long view. God’s kingdom is beyond our efforts, even our vision. In a lifetime, we participate in only a fraction of God’s work. While we cannot do everything, we can do something. Incomplete as it may be, it is a step along the way, a beginning, and something for God to bless. God’s grace does the rest. End results? We may never see them but only hold them trusting in God’s future promises. We are servants, not saviors. We are ministers, not messianic figures. We are prophets of a future not of our own making but for which we hope and for which we make a defense in our life. We believe God will create a new heart in us and a new world out of the old.

Peter Steinke, A Door Set Open