Success is not always success, if in the success you fail God. I think that’s why some people never enjoy their success. They get what they strive and work for to get approval from men but result in disappointment from God.
Not all success is god-given. Success that takes you away from fruitfulness for God’s Kingdom is a miserable failure. “They loved praise from men more than the praise of God” is the way Jesus evaluated it in John 12:43 (NIV).
I know that the world’s applause is pretty heady stuff. When you beat out a lot of your companions in competition for a position, it can turn your head around. But at what cost? If you become more and more preoccupied with your self accomplishment, your attention to spiritual responsibility will lessen. Eventually people get around to making an official resignation for their spiritual responsibility but the harm has been done because they “quit” before they “resigned”.
This is often a sad event in the life of the church family. For example, here is a man or woman who is floundering. No direction! They meet Jesus, He gives direction and purpose to life. This “born again” person begins to live a new life, now open under “new management”. Talents or abilities hopelessly buried in fear, sin, and insecurity begin to emerge. Fellow workers and supervisors notice the change in productiveness. Promotions come. Perks increase. And this person suddenly gets the big-head and thinks he or she has done it by himself. Then they begin to forget God. The success becomes a failure with God.
This was a major concern of God when He delivered the Israelites from Egypt and gave them Canaan. Read the Book of Deuteronomy. Success seems to be a bad eraser of grateful memories for past blessing.
Go ahead, be successful. Success is good. Just remember where it came from. Live gratefully daily. Be faithful to God who gave you success.
“Dear God, sensitize our memories so we will always remember where
we were when You found us. Thanks for saving us from destruction. Amen”
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