The Lord's Purpose

Our Lord's purpose is not the development of a person - His purpose is to make a person exactly like himself, and the Son of God is characterized by self-expenditure. If we believe in Jesus, it is not what we gain but what he pours through us that really counts. God's purpose is not simply to make us into plump, beautiful grapes, but to make us grapes so that He may squeeze the sweetness out of us. Our spiritual life cannot be measured by success as the world measures it, but only by what God pours through us.

My Utmost For His Highest, September 2