Sola Christo

What is your definition of success? Whether you think of success in your job, your school, your family, your friends, or even your walk with God, your definition of success will drive what you seek to become. In my opinion, that question leads to another question: is it right? Is your or my definition of success actually a good one? I actually ran into this question while I was having my devos the other day, and after touching only the surface, I was convicted. Today I would like to dig a little deeper, and hopefully reach anyone who reads this post with this message: What is success?

What is success in my job? Why do I have a job? If I were to quit tonight, what would determine if I have been successful or not? Well, I have a job to make money, right? To pay my school bill, rent, gas, and everything else. I would think that if I make enough money to pay for everything while still maintaining my reputation as a Christian then everything would be okay–I would be successful in my job.

Well then, what about school? It seems like at this point, I feel like a success if I manage to stay awake and halfway alert in class. I have made a goal this semester to make it on to the President’s List, which would make me pretty successful, right? I would like to pass my piano lessons. I would also like to do well in percussion ensemble and band. If I manage to do all that, I will be pretty successful.

How about my family? What is success measured by there? Well, for one thing, staying in a good relationship with them is a good start. I don’t want to do anything that would cause my parents to be angry with me. Even though sometimes that takes some careful manipulation of the truth, I think I have been fairly successful in that area this past year. I want to be a good example to all of my brothers. I like to argue theology with Nathan and Matt, but I want to do it in a spirit of love. If I could do that, I think I will be successful.

Here’s a good one: friends. What makes me successful with my friends or even just with the people around me? I think success is making the people around me happy, both with each other and with me. I do a lot to make sure that happens. I act like an idiot, I embarrass myself, I use sarcasm, anything that will make people laugh or at least smile. If people around me are unhappy or angry or even just hurting, I don’t know what to do. That drags me out of my comfort zone. Thus, I try to make them happy again, so that I can get back inside that safe zone. If the people around me are happy, then I am happy, and successful.

What is the most important area to be successful in,though? Obviously, in my spiritual walk with God. So what makes me successful spiritually? Reading my Bible every day, (finally) defeating certain sin struggles in my life, obeying those who give me wise counsel–all those things will make me a successful Christians.

Now, wait a minute! Has anyone else noticed what I just did? In my many definitions of success, I just used the word “I” 37 times. That’s a lot, isn’t it? What gives me the idea that success is all about me? My life is not about me; it is about how God views me. And if I make that shift in perception, all my life goals, all the things I thought made me successful, fly out the window. Would those definitions have made me a success in the world’s eyes? Of course. They would have been successful is almost anyone’s eyes–if they were considering only the external. Making money is not wrong, nor are getting good grades or making people happy. Definitely reading God’s Word is a good thing. But when I focus on doing those things instead of being what I have been called by God to be (one who follows God), I lose out on the true joy of serving God.

That’s enough for now. Maybe I’ll write another post about what my new definitions of success will be. But for right now, I’ll leave you to make your own, based on what you now know about where they should be focused–on Christ alone.

Sola Christo!