3:299 – Are You Meta?

#faithbites #faithjourney meta

Setting

Have you ever wondered if you have an impact on the world? My dad once said I’d never be a champion but I could coach a champion. Does that make my role less important?

I’m now a faculty developer, which if you ask Cece, she says I teach teachers to teach better. So I’m not even directly teaching students. (Once in a while I do but that’s besides the point). When I worked at state farm and in central IT I never saw my work impacting others. So is it valuable and needed?

This is where the term meta comes in. No, we are talking meta-himan from the comic books, but more meta as in meta data.

Have you ever done a google search? The terms you are using are called meta data. It helps match to the things you want to find. It could be tags or other parts of the document or website you are looking for. Imagine not having meta data. You would have to try to find everything directly. Very challenging if not impossible.

Being in a meta position isn’t bad. You just have to change how you define success. Remember God put you were you are for a reason.

Scripture

• Deuteronomy 6:6-7 – And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
• Matthew 28:19 – Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Reflection

The Bible doesn’t talk about being meta, but it does talk about being an influence on others. If you think about it, that this what being meta is. You are helping or influencing someone who influences someone else. It’s the old butterfly effect. A butterfly flaps it’s wings in the south pacific and a tornado forms in the US. When you influence someone it changes the course of their life. You may not see the end impact, but it is real and is valuable.

For today’s scripture, I took an indirect path, just like being meta is indirect. In the Deuteronomy text, we see God commanding us to share his word, speak them consistently in whatever we do. Speaking and teaching the word of God may not directly impact our lives but it will change the lives to those who hear it. And we may not see where they go but God is on their heart, minds, and soul to a greater extent. In the Matthew text ,we see the great commission, go out and make disciples. This furthers what was started in Deuteronomy. Again, we may not see where the disciples we make go or what they do, but we, through God’s word, have been an influence on them.

The morale of the story is, you may not see how you are impacting people, but God has you where he wants you. You are not meta to him. You are in a place to plant seeds and make a difference!

Challenge

Are you wondering what your purpose is? Are you having trouble in seeing your impact? Look at the people in your life. Take stock that you are influencing them for great things. Without you in their lives, their path would be different. Use those opportunities to be the influence that God wants.

Prayer

Father God, thank you for creating us in your image with a purpose. Many of us, especially during these COVID days, are not feeling connected or not feeling that what we do matters. Lord, we don’t know your plans but you tell us you will never leave us and have plans to help us. Calm our hearts and minds, Lord. Help us to see a glimpse of what your plan is so that we, through faith, know that we are influencing others and making a change in the world for you. We love you and thank you for hearing our pray and answering them in your time, in your way, and by your will. In your name, Amen.