Success Is . . . .

SUCCESS IS . . . .

            “Success to me is having ten honeydew melons and eating only the top half of each one.”  ~~Barbra Streisand

            “Success is stumbling from failure to failure, with no loss of enthusiasm.”  ~~Winston Churchill

            “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.”  ~~Maya Angelou

            “Success is determined not by whether or not you face obstacles, but by your reaction to them.”~~  Ben Carson

            “You are a success is as much as God reigns and directs in your life.”  ~~Dr. Lee Roberson

            Everyone has a different definition of success.  This week I heard Ricky Skaggs’ definition of success and thought, “By his definition, I may never be a success.”  His quote set me wondering about my definition of success.  What makes a person successful and what is it to be a success?

            Joshua 1:8 says, “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it, for then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have good success.”  So meditation and practice of the Word of God will give you success. That has to mean that we totally immerse ourselves in Scripture.  How else are to know how to glorify God, what pleases Him?  We need to read, think about, and practice Scripture.

            The Westminster Shorter Catechism says that the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.  I think the way to be successful is shown in Philippians 1:11, where it says that we are to be “filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”  Colossians 1:10 says that we are to “walk worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects.”  So to me, to be successful is to glorify God through my life and walk worthy of the Lord.  I do not think that means that I do things to win God’s love, in order to be successful.  Rather it means that I choose to do that which will glorify God because I love Him and want to please Him.

            I do not always choose the right thing, the thing which will glorify God, but I want to.  I want to be a success in God’s eyes.  That may be foreign to what men think is success.  Galatians 1:10 says, “Am I seeking the praise of men or of God?”  I may never be a success in the eyes of man, or even in my own eyes, but please, God, let me succeed in Your eyes.

                                                                        ~~Faith Himes Lamb