Have you ever had one of those projects where you just felt unsuccessful? Nothing went right. Your plans failed. You didn’t accomplish what you set out to do.
Or maybe you’ve had a day like that? I sure have.
- I planned to get up early to exercise – but something kept me lying awake half the night so I slept in
- I hoped to get everyone off to work and school in a good mood – instead there was bickering
- I wanted to finish that work project before the deadline – instead I got sidetracked by urgent tasks
- I hoped to avoid the traffic at the market – yet it seemed the busiest it has been in weeks
- I tried a new dinner recipe – instead I burned the sauce and we settled for toast and cereal
And then you lie down at night, only to realize you forgot to hang up the wet laundry to dry. “What an unsuccessful day,” you say!
Maybe you have had a month, a year, or an extended season like that? The standard you set for your work, your ministry, your role, or your character wasn’t met, and you’re left feeling a little bit like a failure.
As we begin a new year, and some of you sit down to plan some goals for yourself in 2022, I want to propose another perspective. What if we also measured our success by our faithfulness?
Reconsidering the measurement of success
For most of us, we think of success as achieving a goal or task. We feel successful when what we set out to do turns out well or desirable. That’s success. But what if success also included dedication and loyalty, integrity and consistency? Could those also be signs of success? What if success was as much about faithfulness as it was about achievement?
- Success is defined by performance. Faithfulness by constancy.
- Success is defined by accomplishment. Faithfulness by devotion.
- Success is defined by achievement. Faithfulness by commitment.
- Success is defined by attaining a goal. Faithfulness by being true to a promise.[1]
Maybe for too long we have defined success in our role, career, or ministry through the lens of achievement and not through the framework of being faithful to where God is calling us.
This is not to say that deadlines, goals, and targets aren’t needed. They are. But so is obedience and faithfulness.
A Biblical measurement
After defeating the Amalekites, King Saul strutted back to Canaan with a cabinet of trophies. The Israelites had defeated their hated enemy. A huge national success, correct? Maybe not.
Look at Samuel’s response:
“Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as He does in obedience? Certainly, obedience is better than sacrifice; paying attention is better than the fat of rams.” 1 Samuel 15:22
God cared more about Saul’s obedience than his achievement of victory.
(Jesus references the same things during His sermon on the mount. (See Matthew 7:21-23))
In Scripture there is a strong emphasis on obedience. Certainly, God is not against setting goals and accomplishing them but, most of all, He wants our obedience. He wants our daily lives to be structured around abiding, serving, and loving (faithfulness), rather than doing, achieving, and attaining (our common understanding of success.)
Thus:
- Faithfulness could be completing a training but also taking the time to ask your son about his school day.
- Faithfulness could be writing a grant for support but also making midweek chili for your family.
- Faithfulness could be graduating with a theology degree but also cleaning up after an event.
- Faithfulness can be the seen and the unseen acts. The momentous and the mundane. It’s hearing God and responding with obedience. I believe that is what success truly is.
My Takeaways
I’m encouraged as I think about how I view my days. What does faithfulness look like for me today? I hope you are encouraged as well. Encouraged that your success today is not measured by what you accomplish but by how faithful you are to God’s calling for you as a spouse, pastor, leader, employee, or friend. May God help you be free from the cultural pressure of performance and embrace the simple call to be obedient and faithful to God’s will for you today.
Growth Point:
It’s time to start measuring our success not by our achievement but by our faithfulness to God’s call for today.
Scripture Point:
Read Matthew 7:21-23. What do you believe God is saying about success in this passage?
Action Point:
What does faithfulness look like for you today? Take 15 minutes one morning this week and pray for God to reveal how you can be faithful to His calling for you that day. End your day with 15 minutes of reflection. What thoughts are you feeling about your day and your pursuit of faithfulness?
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