What Is Your Perspective of Success?
Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.
3 John 1:2
Success is related to goals, but how are we setting realistic and godly personal goals for our lives? What may be a realistic goal for one person could be impossible for another. God has not given each person the same endowment of gifts, talents and intelligence. In addition, our identity and sense of worth are not determined by those qualities. Our sense of worth is based on our identity in Christ and our growth in character—both of which are equally accessible to every child of God. Success is accepting God’s goal for our lives and, by His grace, becoming what He created us to be.
We can be successful in the eyes of the world but be a complete failure in the eyes of God, and vice versa. Many have climbed the ladder of success only to realize that it was leaning against the wrong wall. The first principle of success is to know God and His Word and live accordingly. Paul said, “I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8). God instructed Joshua, “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (Joshua 1:7-8).
The Israelites’ success did not depend on the cooperation of the Philistines or favorable circumstances. They stepped into the water by faith and crossed the Jordan River (see Joshua 3). They were successful in defeating the city of Jericho by faith (see Joshua 6). However, the Israelites were defeated at Ai because a man named Achan violated God’s command (see Joshua 7:10-12). This first principle of success is a faith stretcher. Do you believe that you could run for public office and win or be a successful businessperson without violating the Word of God? Success may mean that you are an honest person who drives a less expensive car and lives in a modest home.
The second principle of success is to become the people God created us to be. We may not have enough time to accomplish what we set out to do, but we have precisely enough time to do God’s will. We may not be able to reach some “prestigious” social position, but what position is higher than being seated with Christ in the heavenlies? We can try to make a name for ourselves in this world, but would that surpass being called a child of God? Scripture provides no instruction for determining our career, but it gives a lot of instruction about what kind of career person we should be.
Being good stewards of our time, talent and treasure is the third principle of success. The Lord wants us to prosper, but what is our definition of prosperity? What material possession or social status would you exchange for love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control? No earthly possession or position can give us what we inwardly desire, which is equally available to all God’s children if we just abide in Christ.
a few questions to consider:
In Joshua 3, why do you think God told those carrying the Ark to step into the water first, and then He would roll back the water?
Why is successfully reaching temporal goals so fleeting?
How is God’s definition of success different from the world’s definition?
How does your answer to “I would be successful if . . .” compare to God’s definition of success?
What part of the Christian faith have you been willing to compromise in order to reach your own goals?
Neil T. Anderson is the founder of Freedom in Christ Ministries. He began the ministry in 1989 and continues to spread the message of freedom to this day.