The Measure of Success
A couple of months ago I blogged on 'no regrets' - about how we tend to think that our failures somehow limit God's purposes. That is really presumptuous thinking, isn't it? We don't limit God in our failure because He knows our failures before they happen and has planned to use them for His purposes in our lives. This week I've been thinking about how I measure my success and realized that I am usually expecting more than I should in assuming that the successes I see and experience are the limit or expanse of my success. Like - if I teach and no one tells me how they learned something that changed their life... Or - if I write something and share it with others and no one says it spoke to their heart... Or - if every time I dive headfirst into something He leads me to do I end up banging my head on a rock... Am I a success?
God has been explaining the presumptuous nature of that kind of thinking. What I see as success is not all there is to the picture. I really have no clue of the eternal impact of the things I say and do and really don't have much control over that impact - good or bad. But He sees and He controls. And if what I do is done because I am seeking Him and following Him and loving Him, then I can leave the result and the success up to Him, right? But I like to measure my success. And He knows that. So He has also been explaining the kind of success that He wants me to measure.
He showed me the story of Abraham. Abraham was called out by God to follow Him to a promised land. He was told his descendants would be more numerous than the sand on the shore. And yet he had no permanent place to call home and his wife couldn't have children. Where was the success in that?
He showed me the story of Joseph - a man with a dream - a God-given dream. But every time Joseph thought he was finding success and moving forward, something happened to stop his success or reverse it. He got thrown in a pit, sold into slavery, falsely accused, imprisoned, forgotten. Is that success?
He showed me the story of David who was selected to be King of Israel. But there was already a king and that king hated David and spent many years chasing him around in the wilderness trying to kill him. And when David had chances to kill the king and take his crown, he didn't do it. Was that success?
As I looked at each of these people in the Bible I saw that their lives did not demonstrate great success as I would measure it until they were older and had walked with Him for many years. And much of the success of their lives was not evident until long after their deaths. Abraham did have a son. Josepn did rise to authority. David did become king. But none of them achieved that success by their own work or strength or ability. God did it. And God did it in His time and in His way. And what God did through them is still impacting His kingdom today because through those men, God brought about the redemptive plan for all mankind through Jesus Christ.
I think what is God saying to me about the measure of success in their lives is that it is not achievement or result or impact - but it is what they received from, with and through Him in their lives.
For Abraham - success was measured in friendship. James 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,"and he was called God's friend.
In Christ, I can measure my success by friendship with Him. And its not about what I do to be a good friend - it is about Him choosing me as a friend. John 15:15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
For Joseph - success was measured in presence. Acts 7:9 "Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him. In Christ, I can measure my success by His presence in my life. And its not about what I do to enter into His presence - it is about His being present in me. Ephesians 1:13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.
For David - success was measured by likeness to God. Acts 13:22 After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.' In Christ, I can measure my success by my likeness to Him. But its not about what I do to become Christlike but how He has made me new in Christ. II Corinthians 5:17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
Success is all about Him. And He is very successful. And He has chosen me to be His friend. And He has put His very presence in me. And He has made me new - made me like Christ. The measure of my success is immeasurable.
Amy
Psalm 71: 14 But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more. 15 My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure. 16 I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign LORD; I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone.
God has been explaining the presumptuous nature of that kind of thinking. What I see as success is not all there is to the picture. I really have no clue of the eternal impact of the things I say and do and really don't have much control over that impact - good or bad. But He sees and He controls. And if what I do is done because I am seeking Him and following Him and loving Him, then I can leave the result and the success up to Him, right? But I like to measure my success. And He knows that. So He has also been explaining the kind of success that He wants me to measure.
He showed me the story of Abraham. Abraham was called out by God to follow Him to a promised land. He was told his descendants would be more numerous than the sand on the shore. And yet he had no permanent place to call home and his wife couldn't have children. Where was the success in that?
He showed me the story of Joseph - a man with a dream - a God-given dream. But every time Joseph thought he was finding success and moving forward, something happened to stop his success or reverse it. He got thrown in a pit, sold into slavery, falsely accused, imprisoned, forgotten. Is that success?
He showed me the story of David who was selected to be King of Israel. But there was already a king and that king hated David and spent many years chasing him around in the wilderness trying to kill him. And when David had chances to kill the king and take his crown, he didn't do it. Was that success?
As I looked at each of these people in the Bible I saw that their lives did not demonstrate great success as I would measure it until they were older and had walked with Him for many years. And much of the success of their lives was not evident until long after their deaths. Abraham did have a son. Josepn did rise to authority. David did become king. But none of them achieved that success by their own work or strength or ability. God did it. And God did it in His time and in His way. And what God did through them is still impacting His kingdom today because through those men, God brought about the redemptive plan for all mankind through Jesus Christ.
I think what is God saying to me about the measure of success in their lives is that it is not achievement or result or impact - but it is what they received from, with and through Him in their lives.
For Abraham - success was measured in friendship. James 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,"and he was called God's friend.
In Christ, I can measure my success by friendship with Him. And its not about what I do to be a good friend - it is about Him choosing me as a friend. John 15:15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
For Joseph - success was measured in presence. Acts 7:9 "Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him. In Christ, I can measure my success by His presence in my life. And its not about what I do to enter into His presence - it is about His being present in me. Ephesians 1:13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.
For David - success was measured by likeness to God. Acts 13:22 After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.' In Christ, I can measure my success by my likeness to Him. But its not about what I do to become Christlike but how He has made me new in Christ. II Corinthians 5:17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
Success is all about Him. And He is very successful. And He has chosen me to be His friend. And He has put His very presence in me. And He has made me new - made me like Christ. The measure of my success is immeasurable.
Amy
Psalm 71: 14 But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more. 15 My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure. 16 I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign LORD; I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone.
Amy,
I'm not a blogger, a commentator, or much of an emailer - as you already know. BUT! I am an avid reader. You've got no idea how good the timing was on your entry here. It's meshed up w/ some other encouragements that have been in the nick of time.
Call me Theophilus...
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Another testimony to the immeasurable success we have in Him, my friend, Theo. Bless you!!
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