The Measure of Success

Most of what we do has some version of "success" attached. Am I a good father? Do I do my job well? Am I a good husband? A good pastor? A good son? A good friend? Just about everything carries some sort of measurement to say, "So far, so good." The question is are we using the correct measurement?

When Job faced not one but two disasters from the hand of Satan, his friends assumed that the obvious conclusion was that Job was a sinner. No, Job was a serious sinner. Their thinking was that this magnitude of consequences only came from real sinning. They were wrong. And Job knew it. After the first he declared, "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21). When Joseph's brothers "apologized" to Joseph for their mistreatment of him, he told them, "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good ..." (Gen 50:20). These people were using a different measurement to determine "success." It wasn't increased wealth or power, more comfortable living, "feeling good about myself," or the opinions of others. Their standard was God.

Paul warned of the danger of measuring ourselves by comparing ourselves with others (2 Cor 10:12). Pastors might be tempted to measure their success by church growth numbers and church giving. We humans who are also Christians succumb often to this faulty standard that other humans use. We must not. Remember. We have died with Christ. The life we now live we live by faith in the Son of God. He lives in us (Gal 2:20). It is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure" (Php 2:13). We have a different standard for success. Are we doing what God wants? Don't buy the lies the world offers. Our standard is Christ.