1 Peter 1:24-25 “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of the Lord stands forever.”
Peter quotes this passage from Isaiah 40:6-8 immediately after writing about being born from imperishable seed through the living and enduring Word of God. It is God’s Word that endures. It is not about human glory – the desperate attempt of so many accomplished people to leave their mark on history and to avoid being forgotten. And it is not about the even more desperate attempt to find within science or quackery a way to avoid death altogether. Life fully lived is to know Jesus Christ and to love God and others. Personal accomplishment, achievement, and “success” can never ultimately give me life.
Father, free me from the quest for personal significance. At times I have felt like an underachiever who is squandering your gifts because I lack accomplishment and renown. My service often seems so scattered and unfocused, without momentum in any consistent direction. Yet you have brought much fruit at times and I pray to be fruitful again. I fully and entirely depend on you.