Tag: success

Success

This week, WordPress notified me of two particular milestones my site has reached. It does not matter exactly what they are, and you will understand later why I choose not to share the specifics. In addition to that, my site also managed to exceed total views for 2020, also something of an achievement.

Are these successes though?

In some ways, of course they are. It is encouraging to me as a writer to know that my posts are being read. That’s sort of the point, right? But take my blog and sit it next to a social media giant or retail conglomerate and suddenly my handful of views does not look quite so successful.

Page views, likes and shares are just one small way to measure success. For the Christian writer, blogger or author aiming to share the Gospel, they are not the best measure.

So what is success in God’s eyes? As ever, Paul has wisdom to share.

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

2 Timothy 4:6-8 (NIV)

In particular, my attention is drawn to verse seven above. Paul, as he approached the end of his life, was able to say that he fought the good fight, finished his race, and kept the faith. While i am sure he had regrets, he was able to say that he did what God had called him to. Surely that is the greatest success a person can achieve.

Whether you are a writer, pastor or anything else. Are you able to say that you are doing what God has called you to? If so, then you are a success. It does not matter what awards you do or do not win in this life, for you will be rewarded with the crown of righteousness by the Righteous Judge.

When I stand before God at the end of all things, He will not ask me how many views my site got. He will ask what I did with Jesus, and then He will examine my works to see if they stand the test. Salvation is unquestioningly found in Jesus alone, but our good works in His Name will also be recognised.

A blog with a thousand followers is not more successful than one with a hundred, if both are seeking the glory of the Lord. The same is true for churches. Worldly success is fleeting so strive for God’s success which is eternal.

What race are you running? Let it be the one that leads to Christ. Once you have made sure that it is, run it with all you can. If you can say, at the end of your life, that you followed the Lord and kept the faith, you will be a true success. Don’t chase after follows or promote yourself, do it all for Jesus. He is the only One that matters.

Willing to Pay the Price? (PoW#22)

Pearl of Wisdom #22

Don’t expect what other people have, unless you’re willing to pay the price they paid to get it.

Some say we live in the age of entitlement. People have a tendency to want or even expect what other people have – without being willing to pay the price they paid to get it.

Some newly weds or homeowners expect the same standard of living as their retired parents, not realising it took their parents their entire lives working and saving to be in a position to live that way.

We want to lose weight and be fit and healthy, but don’t want to spend the hours in the gym we need to. We want the “body” but aren’t willing to let go of the chocolate!

The same can be true of churches and ministries. We see a “big church” (which is not necessarily a measure of success) and want our church to be the same. A Bible teacher draws in a crowd of hundreds, and we feel we ought to have at least the same.

What we often fail to understand is that these things all come at a cost and a sacrifice. Whether in ministry or in business or life in general, success takes time and patience. We may be watching the end result of years of hard work, expecting to have it all in a few weeks.

I encourage you to have goals and dreams, but set realistic expectations. Don’t look at others and covet what they have. Do what they did to get it. Learn from them, and strive towards your goals.

And remember, we usually only ever see the “edited highlights” of a person’s life. Instagram and Facebook are very selective windows into a person’s world.

Be blessed this week.

Success and Pre-success (PoW#18)

Pearl of Wisdom #18

You are not a failure; you just haven’t succeeded yet

You are not a failure until you truly give up. Everyone else is just “pre-successful”.

Thomas Edison, although perhaps not the true inventor of the light bulb, never gave up. He “invented” numerous ways of how not to make a light bulb, until he finally got one that worked. And he only needed one.

Whatever it is you are trying to achieve, don’t ever consider yourself a failure. Until you are successful at your goal, you are just learning all the ways not to do it, and if you keep trying, you will make it one day.

Never give up! Push on and keep trying! You can do the things that God has put on your heart to do! Don’t ever let the word “failure” come out of your mouth – instead, just consider it a practice run!