Success in God

When I was in high school I remember thinking about what would make me a success. I thought that if I married a doctor, lived in a brick house and could put fresh flowers on the dining room table then I would be a success. 

When I got older, in my 20’s, I thought that having a new car and a house would make me a success. 

When I was in my 30’s I thought that being a success would be having lots of money. 

I found throughout the years that my definition of success always changed and involved material things. 

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary describes success as “the attainment of wealth, favor or eminence”. This unfortunately is what our society sees as an accurate description of success.

Now, some 30 years later I find my definition of success to be much different. Today I find my success resides in God; it is what is most important to me.

In the Bible there are many stories that tell of success. In the book of Esther, Queen Esther finds success when she defeats Hamen’s evil plot to kill the Jews. In the book of Genesis, Joseph succeeds in rising to power in Egypt and puts his success in God. In both of these examples, success is not defined by worldly possessions but by devoting our life to God. 

In the New Testament, James and John approach Jesus and ask for seats of glory next to him. In Mark 10:43-45 Jesus says “… but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to become first among you must be slave to all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom to many.” In these verses Jesus explains that true success comes not from sitting in glory but by serving others in love. 

So, put away the credit cards, to be truly successful we need to invite God into our hearts. This is done by putting God first in our lives. Showing God’s love to others can be demonstrated by devoting your time to them in the soup kitchen or at home showing your love to your family. 

We can also show our success in God by seeking his wisdom on a daily basis. This can be done by meditating on his word or reading scripture. 

When people think of doing these things they automatically back away saying, “I don’t have time in my busy life for one more commitment”. Devoting time to God doesn’t mean having to spend a great amount of time with him. You can devote a small amount of time each day and still transform your life. 

Success in God is not difficult to obtain and it lasts for the rest of our lives and into the future with him. Luke 4:8 says, “You shall worship the Lord your God and serve only him.” To find true success we need to serve him in faith and love. 

Dear God, please be with us as we strive to serve only you. Help us to put you first in our lives, and not worldly possessions, so we can become a true success. Amen




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