Successful or Significant

When people speak of success, they often speak in terms of accumulating wealth – the person with the most toys wins. There is some logic to this. After all, the definition of success clearly states that “it is the accomplishment of an aim or purpose; the attainment of popularity or profit; a person or thing that achieves desired aims or attains prosperity” (Source: Oxford Dictionary). There is so much pressure to be successful.

How do we measure success? The balance of someone’s bank account? Expensive clothing? Executive status? Is it the mansion or the number of exotic vacations in a given year that sets a successful person above the rest?

When I think about success, there are several variables that come to mind. I think about education and experience … and money, of course. But those things just scratch the surface. I also think about influence and the impact one has on others. In my mind, what success comes down to is legacy. Are we measuring success by the number of lives we’ve been able to encourage, influence, and lead into a meaningful relationship with Christ and others?

As children of God, we can creatively produce wealth for Kingdom purposes. God has given us more than we could ever need to accomplish all He has set out for us to do. Success comes with hard work. God wants us to work hard and, when we do it with our whole heart, He blesses us to be a blessing to others.

It is important to shift our thinking of success in terms of money to success in terms of people. Matthew 16:26 tells us ‘what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?’ What good would it be to become some important person in the world, leading a large team of people, if you neglect God and the people he has entrusted to your care?

How will you measure success?

Living a significant life doesn’t mean living in poverty. Living a significant life means shifting the focus from a ‘me’ mentality to an ‘us’ mentality, realizing that together we can accomplish more than we could alone.

Living a significant life means taking time to invest in people and to encourage them to follow the call they have over their life.

What kind of life are you going to choose?