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What does it mean to be successful?
How would you answer this question?
Who gets to define success? Those who are successful? Isn't that kindof like "the victors write the history?"
If I have enough resources to rent a building, start a ministry, pay a staff member, run a bunch of programs, support a bunch of missionaries; does this mean that success has been attained?
If lots of people come to our functions--say 25, or maybe 75, or 100, 1000, 10000...are we successful then?
If we have figured out how to keep people's attention, emotionally engage them and get them excited, if they go out all jazzed up and ready to serve and give; am I successful then?
If I am able to apply the right principles and implement strategies that would make a fortune 500 CEO proud, and then manage a group of people to a place of cultural prowess and influence where folks know our church's name, and would miss us if we were gone; is this success?
Isn't it God who rescued us from our slavery to sin and depravation, when we were His enemies...by losing His life and Son and Dignity and being abandoned by His friends...
Isn't it God who is the Provider, Sustainer, Giver of Life and we are
the stewards of His resources, His gifts, His empowering of our lives
and ministry by His Holy Spirit--How else could dead people live
abundant lives?
Isn't it Jesus who said, "If you lift me I will draw all men unto me"...
Isn't it God who said follow me and...'walk around the city 7 times and yell and it will fall' or, 'you have too many in your army...let's trim that down a bit' or, chuck the stick on the ground...now, pick up the nice snake by the tail' or, 'lose your life and you will gain it' or, 'I'm going up to Jerusalem to die--this was the plan the whole time, really.'
Some of Jesus own disciples that did life with Him still doubted the day He ascended to Heaven...
To love God is to obey Him, faithfully, just like Jesus...right! He became poor, so that we might become rich. He gave up His life so that we could gain life. He left His throne so we might gain a home. He loved the unlovely. He associates Himself with the Widow, the poor, the weak, the downtrodden, the fatherless, the homeless, the sojourner. Time to emulate our Hero.
At what point did we decide that we should define success instead of God?
By our definitions of success do we realize how many biblical heroes would be considered failures?
No one listened to Jeremiah or Isaiah. David would never have done ministry again. Habakkuk was a helpless social advocate. Peter a coward. Jesus....Jesus would have failed miserably by our standards. He turned people away and the followers He had bailed on Him when it mattered. No resources. No building. People couldn't wait to get rid of Him. He certainly couldn't manage His own staff, and His plan for ministry was abysmal by todays standards.
Yet, God sees Jesus life in a very different light. Allow me to share a bit of what He thinks:
"In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him,
“You are my Son;
today I have become your Father.”
And he says in another place,
“You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek.”
During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek."
-Hebrews 5:5-10
And,
"It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is
“‘the stone you builders rejected,
which has become the cornerstone.’
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
-Acts 4: 10b-12
One more,
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
-Matthew 28: 18-20
Since God is King don't you think that we should let Him define success, and then obey!
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
-Matthew 6:33
[A re-post from my examiner article to be viewed at www.examiner.com/article/define-success?cid=db_articles]
How would you answer this question?
Who gets to define success? Those who are successful? Isn't that kindof like "the victors write the history?"
If I have enough resources to rent a building, start a ministry, pay a staff member, run a bunch of programs, support a bunch of missionaries; does this mean that success has been attained?
If lots of people come to our functions--say 25, or maybe 75, or 100, 1000, 10000...are we successful then?
If we have figured out how to keep people's attention, emotionally engage them and get them excited, if they go out all jazzed up and ready to serve and give; am I successful then?
If I am able to apply the right principles and implement strategies that would make a fortune 500 CEO proud, and then manage a group of people to a place of cultural prowess and influence where folks know our church's name, and would miss us if we were gone; is this success?
Isn't it God who rescued us from our slavery to sin and depravation, when we were His enemies...by losing His life and Son and Dignity and being abandoned by His friends...
Isn't it Jesus who said, "If you lift me I will draw all men unto me"...
Isn't it God who said follow me and...'walk around the city 7 times and yell and it will fall' or, 'you have too many in your army...let's trim that down a bit' or, chuck the stick on the ground...now, pick up the nice snake by the tail' or, 'lose your life and you will gain it' or, 'I'm going up to Jerusalem to die--this was the plan the whole time, really.'
Some of Jesus own disciples that did life with Him still doubted the day He ascended to Heaven...
To love God is to obey Him, faithfully, just like Jesus...right! He became poor, so that we might become rich. He gave up His life so that we could gain life. He left His throne so we might gain a home. He loved the unlovely. He associates Himself with the Widow, the poor, the weak, the downtrodden, the fatherless, the homeless, the sojourner. Time to emulate our Hero.
At what point did we decide that we should define success instead of God?
By our definitions of success do we realize how many biblical heroes would be considered failures?
No one listened to Jeremiah or Isaiah. David would never have done ministry again. Habakkuk was a helpless social advocate. Peter a coward. Jesus....Jesus would have failed miserably by our standards. He turned people away and the followers He had bailed on Him when it mattered. No resources. No building. People couldn't wait to get rid of Him. He certainly couldn't manage His own staff, and His plan for ministry was abysmal by todays standards.
Yet, God sees Jesus life in a very different light. Allow me to share a bit of what He thinks:
"In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him,
“You are my Son;
today I have become your Father.”
And he says in another place,
“You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek.”
During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek."
-Hebrews 5:5-10
And,
"It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is
“‘the stone you builders rejected,
which has become the cornerstone.’
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
-Acts 4: 10b-12
One more,
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
-Matthew 28: 18-20
Since God is King don't you think that we should let Him define success, and then obey!
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
-Matthew 6:33
[A re-post from my examiner article to be viewed at www.examiner.com/article/define-success?cid=db_articles]
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