There are a lot of definitions of success to people these days, but I think the only thing that truly matters is the definition that comes from God. Because once we figure out what God defines for us as success, we won’t need to look for anything more. We won’t need to look for the approval of our peers or our family or anyone in the world. We will know deep inside we are successful because God said so. Once God says you’re successful no one can argue against that, not even a devil in hell.
So, how to find God’s meaning of success? It’s simple, talk to Him. Don’t make it complicated, just talk to Him from your heart.
Here’s the thing, if we don’t talk to the Lord about what He defines as success for us, we will continue to go after worldly pursuits and endeavors for nothing. Even if the world says you’re successful because you’ve attained your degree or accumulated so much wealth, if it’s not God’s definition of success for you, you don’t have one iota of true success. Every single thing will be taken from you in the end. You cannot take anything with you when you’re gone. All you will take with you is your soul and your spirit, which completely belongs to God. Your soul belongs to God, you don’t own it. So when this life is over the definition of success is what He defines, not what we define.
So many times we forget about considering the world beyond what we’re seeing right now. We think that because we don’t see it we don’t belong in it, and therefore it should not even come into equation about our definition of success. It’s a spirit world and not of our world – heaven (or hell for that matter), so we ignore it. But the fact is heaven is a destination we want to go to when this life is over. It should be a part of our goals in this life. Heaven should be our ultimate goal – that is, to be with God. Our life truly is not over until we know where we’re heading when this life is over. The end for us is not when we die, it’s when we meet God and we pass on the Judgment Day. Death is just the beginning of eternity: whether to spend it with God or without God, it is still an entrance to eternity. The soul and our spirit never die. So we need to take the afterlife into serious consideration when we’re defining success for our soul today. Isn’t what matters most to us the ultimate happiness of our soul? Isn’t this why so many of us leave a job or a marriage or an endeavor whenever our soul suffers? It’s because we above all are beings that must have contentment in our soul. If we’re not happy nothing matters, not even our bank account or how gorgeous our spouse looks to the eyes of the world. Nothing. So, unless we are sure about where we’re heading when this life is over and have considered what we’re going to do about this, we have not been completely successful. Because when this life is over our soul will continue to live. We will continue to experience life. It isn’t over.
The truth is God is the one that’s going to matter in the end. We only have one soul; we only have one life. There is only one you. So whether we face God now or later, even if we have attained everything we have dreamed of or pursued after in this world, we have not been a success unless we are a success in God’s eyes. Remember what Jesus Christ said in His word:
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? {Mark 8:36}
Remember that rich man in the parable of Jesus Christ? This rich man’s only concern was to build more silos for his harvest and he thought after this that all he needed to do was to take it easy, drink and be merry. But God told him he was a fool. He was a fool because He didn’t consider eternity. Eternity must be considered when we’re trying to define success. It exists. It is real. It is coming. God told this rich man,
“Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?” {Luke 12:20}
Then Jesus added this admonition to us,
“So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” {Luke 12:21}
So you see, God’s definition of success is what matters most. We have to have His definition of success and not our own if we truly want to be successful.
It’s not really hard to find His definition for us. All it takes as I have mentioned before is to talk to the Lord about it. Ask Him to show you what He defines best for you as success.
You know what I have found that makes one successful in God’s eyes? It is to have a relationship with Him – a true and deep meaningful relationship with Him. Time and time again what pleases Him the most is when I talk to Him and commune with Him and love Him with all of my heart and soul. When I am open to Him and am talking to Him He loves it. Whenever I tell Him how much He means to me and how thankful I am for Him, I am always filled with this assurance in my heart that He loves me so much. When I feel His love, nothing else matters in the world. It doesn’t matter if I have not done what I was supposed to do that day towards my own goals or that I haven’t checked off all of my To Do List. When I feel God’s love and the Holy Ghost filling my heart, that’s all that matters in the universe with God: His love and Him filling me through and through. Because, that’s the reason why He came, to show me that I am well loved by Him and that I know this for myself. When this life is over, and I see His face, I know He’s going to know me and I, Him. I don’t have to worry about eternity anymore. I don’t have to worry about whether I have accomplished worldly success yet or not. What He thinks of me and what I feel about Him is what matters most. And the best thing out of all of this is that once I have my relationship with Him squared away, His calling and His purpose for me is automatic. He reveals to me what I’m supposed to do on this earth. Not only that, He brings it to me. It becomes a part of my life. I don’t have to worry about it anymore because He accomplishes it in my life. My life’s purpose is certain simply because of my relationship with Him.
God’s very first commandment to the children of Israel was to love Him with all of their hearts, their minds, their soul and their strength. To me, to love God with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength is the ultimate definition of success. Once I have that squared away, anything else is icing on the cake. To know that He knows me and loves me so much, and I loving Him back and knowing what His purpose is for me to do on this earth, that is the best definition of success.
“And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” {Deuteronomy 6:5}
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” {Matthew 6:33}
“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” {Philippians 1:21}
Prayer
Father God, thank You with all of my heart for Your true definition of success for me. I thank You that I don’t have to be rich or smart or be attractive to be successful in Your eyes. I thank You that all that matters to You is that I love You and that I’ve allowed You to work through me and talk back to me. All other things in this life I accomplished or do for Your name’s sake are just the icing on the cake. You above all are the truest definition of success. Besides You nothing else matters; for all things belong to You. Heaven and earth are going to pass away but Your word will never pass away. I love You so much Jesus. I pray that Your will in my life will be done. I pray this in Your most wonderful and precious name, Jesus. Thank You, Father. Amen.
