If we say that Jesus is Lord, then success could be defined as applying the principles of Scripture – all of it – to every part of our daily lives.
Success is a critical topic for us to contemplate and personally define. For only to the degree we intentionally and clearly define success, are we able to ensure we create the right goals to be able to achieve it. I find it helpful to imagine the final stage of life when defining success. From this perspective, what factors or accomplishments would allow us to think we’ve done well?
Do you want to be able to confidently say that your life demonstrated a healthy and balanced emphasis on what was of greatest value? And that your decisions reflected such? If you answered “yes”, then it is crucial to define success in advance. For followers of Jesus, we must also consider what God says is most important. We must then assess our lives to see if they reflect the same, or if we have allowed what we wanted or felt like doing to be the criteria.
What does your life reflect?
My best friend often says, “we do what we want to do.” Perhaps you have also heard it said, “open a person’s checkbook and you’ll find what’s important to them.” There is no question that our actions are truly the most accurate reflection of our values. Herein lies the challenge. Our natural tendencies and behaviors are often the result of motivations we are somewhat hesitant to admit. Many forces drive our behaviors. These can include our emotions and the need for recognition, to our fear of conflict, and desire for comfort.
I encourage you to take the time to personally define success. Please also consider these overarching thoughts in the process. Irrespective of any definition, it is your actions and life decisions that will reflect what you truly believe in your inner being. Success, as Scripture defines it, does not give room for our choices and decisions to be governed by our emotions, feelings, or fears. Rather, success begins and ends with a true commitment to live like Jesus in every area of our lives.
If we say that Jesus is Lord, then success could be defined as applying the principles of Scripture – all of it – to every part of our daily lives. In my mind, that’s a great goal and worth devoting our lives to putting it into practice!
