Monday Morning Memo: Success That Matters

Success.  The dictionary says that this word means an achievement of intention; attainment of fame, wealth or power.  We hear this word or a form of it used quite often in our society today.  The party was a success.  I had success in locating him or her.  He was very successful in business.  

I do think that this word has a different meaning to different people, depending on their age, career, or social status.  What one person thinks is a success, may not be to someone else.  “Joe” may think he has been a success in his career, but to someone like “Bill” who has climbed higher on the corporate ladder, Joe hasn’t come close to being successful.  I think it depends on the criteria on which we base our success.

I think where many of us err, is that we often base our success on the here and now.  What do we have to do to make the world think we are successful?  What do we have to accomplish to have others notice us?  How high up the corporate ladder do we have to climb, to be deemed a success?

I saw this graphic this week and it really got me thinking.  I often hear people say that they have a fear of failure.  They don’t want to try anything new or step out of their comfort zone because it may not work out and they won’t be a success.  But when I read these words, they gave me a totally different perspective.  If we are fully devoted followers of Christ, our focus should be on making sure what we are successful at will make a difference in eternity.

Let me give you an example.  There is nothing wrong with being successful in your career, but if that is your main focus and goal, you may be investing a lot of your time and energy in the wrong direction.  If you are working countless hours to further your career, but your spouse and children never see you at home, what you are successful at may not matter.  You may consider yourself successful because you have a large home to live in, but if your home is not being used for God’s glory, that mansion may not matter.

Maybe we need to ask ourselves what we are willing to sacrifice to be successful and in whose eyes we want to be a success.  If we are only concerned with how the world views our achievements, then anything we accomplish really won’t matter in the light of eternity.  But if we are more concerned that we do whatever Christ has called us to do, whether or not it brings us accolades from the world, then whatever we accomplish will be deemed a success in His eyes.

We have all heard it said that when we die, we can’t take it with us.  How true that is.  Very few headstones read, “He was very successful in business” or “She climbed to the top of the corporate ladder”…because when we are gone, none of that will be important.  But if we have left behind many whom we told about our Jesus, then our time on earth will have been a success.  A success that will make a difference in eternity.  A success that really matters.