Hello! We’ve hit the middle of March and while that means Spring is close at hand, it certainly hasn’t felt like it here this week! We’ve pulled out the warm jackets one more time before they’re put away for next winter.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about what it means to be successful. Maybe there are certain benchmarks you meet in a job or career that equal success. It could be earning a certain income or a specific job title. How about buying a new house or car or achieving a position of power or influence? Even just having lots of friends to hang out with could be an external thing we use to measure success.
But when we look at life through a spiritual lens, what does success really look like?
Here’s what I’ve come up with. Being successful is faithfully doing what God has set before us to do today.
That could be homeschooling children or running errands. Perhaps it’s working in an office or teaching in a classroom, taking care of an aging parent or ringing up customers’ purchases at the grocery store. Each one of us has specific things that we will do today.
Being successful isn’t about being noticed by others or getting rewarded for our effort…although that does happen sometimes. If we’re doing what God’s called us to do right now, and we’re doing it for His glory, then we’re successful.
In 1 Corinthians 4:2, we read, “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” As we manage all that God has entrusted us with – our homes, children, finances, time, skills, and abilities – our responsibility is to be faithful.
In the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, we find that the master applauds his servants who’ve invested their talents well by saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” The one who entrusted them with those talents is pleased because they were faithful with what they’d been given.
Note that each one of those servants was given different amounts to manage. God also gives each of us different things to oversee. But it’s not about who gets more…it’s about being faithful to manage what you do have well.
There’s nothing wrong with all the measurements of success I mentioned above. We can have goals and strive to reach them. We may end up with some really nice stuff or lots of recognition from other people.
But at the end of the day, let’s ask ourselves this question. “Have I been faithful to do what God gave me to do today?” If, by his grace, we can answer yes, we know that we’ve been successful in accomplishing what matters most.
Related posts:
- What Does It Mean to Walk with the Lord?
- 11 Different Ways to Study the Bible
- 8 Things That Will Matter When You’re 80
I agree so much with this! Too often we think that only those in “spiritual“ roles (like pastors and Sunday school teachers) are really doing God’s work. But, as you say, if we do what God has for us to do each day, whether changing diapers or leading a women’s retreat, we are equally pleasing Him.
Yes, that’s it! And it doesn’t matter if anyone sees our service – God does, and He’s the one we’re desiring to please.
I have really been redefining “successful” for myself the last 3 years, too! (We enneagram 3s are *obsessed* with looking “successful” & I’ve been praying for God’s truth for my life over the world’s perception more fervently since the beginning of the pandemic.)
Love that – if we can just stay grounded in God’s truth, our definition of success in life can be exactly what it should be.