WHAT IS SUCCESS?” Success is a relative term for many, but not for God's people. The world says that if you achieve what you want to achieve and are happy, that is success. It could be applied to life in general or to individual tasks in life. Many define success as achieving personal goals, whatever they may be.
Success is often defined as the ability to reach your goals in life, whatever those goals may be. In some ways, a better word for success according to the world might be “attainment”, “accomplishment”, or “progress”. This is a good definition, but only when not void of God’s plan. Success is not just a destination but a journey. It's more than just developing the skills and resources needed to thrive in our life time. I woiuld submit that any definition void of God’s wisdom, direction and will is not success at all. If not kept in proper perspective, success can become a distraction and stumbling block.
In Mark 8:35 Jesus tells us, “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it”. This verse is not telling us to go into full ministry, but only that whoever would save his life by renouncing the gospel and this avoiding risk of martyrdom will lose it eternally speaking-because he or she has not believed the gospel. But, whoever is “willing” to lose his or her life as a martyr for Chris will gain it. This should be the lens that all Christians look through in light of how we define success and our life mission. The very next verse goes onto to say…
“For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” (MARK 8:36)
Verse 36 is the point of today’s devotion. Around the world, and certainly in America, we tend to chase a perverted form of success based on selfishness, attention, wealth and power. According to God, to preserve one’s life eternally, one must surrender their earthly possessions, fame, fortune, and in some cases the relationships we hold so dearly (Matthew 16:24-27). In life, all of us are constantly investing in resources all the time. In the end, the dividends will be determined by the wisdom of the investment according to God's economy. Just ask Steve Jobs and Billy Graham.
Is God asking us to “sell all we have” and serve God poor? No, Jesus makes clear that this is not what He is saying (Luke 8:22). Jesus makes clear that it’s not the possessions, power, fame and money we have, but how tightly we hold onto them and use them. In America, in too many cases, we as Christians all too often think that we don’t hold onto (cling to) and overvalue “things” as much as we really do.
In God’s eyes. True success is determined by our sacrifices (of what we have been given) as a reflection of our heart. Denying ourself of anything pleasurable does not mean a denial our personality-only a denial of our self-centeredness in placing Jesus on the throne of our life. Taking up one’s cross was not a Jewish metaphor, but a common figure of speech to the readers at that time. A condemned criminal often carried the crosspiece of his own cross, if not the whole entire cross to his place of execution to make a showing to that person and to all watching that Rome had authority over him. When we as a disciple of Jesus Christ take up our cross in any decisive act, we acknowledge Christ’s authority over our life.
When the disciple (you and I) follow God, and surrender all we have in light of what God wants us to do with those things, we begin to live more joyfully according to His plan for our lives. When we do this, God is always revealed more sharply in our lives. This is called successful living according to God’s definition.
In closing please allow me to adjust the original definition of “SUCCESS” as follows:
SUCCESS can be defined as the ability to reach our goals in light of God’s will (and plan) for our life; asking God to turn our heart's desires and goals according to His will, goal, desires and plan for our life, whatever they may be. In some ways, a better word for success might be “attainment”, “accomplishment”, or “progress”, but in light of our obedience to God in carrying out those goals according to His will and not our own. This is not necessarily a destination but a spiritual and life long journey that helps develop our character. This in turn builds up the faith we need to thrive on earth according to God’s plan here on earth and in eternity. I think this definition is right and good. Any definition void of God’s wisdom, direction and will is not success at all, but only a distraction, a stumbling block, and potentially a deadly temptation for one’s eternal destination. And this ladies and gentleman is true success.
