“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Matthew 6:19-21
The world we live in craves success. Success in business. Success in politics. Success in celebrity status. Success in appearance. Success in romance. Success in power.
It’s easy to get suckered into these definitions of success, yet all of them are ultimately empty since “moth and rust destroy” and “thieves break in and steal.” As Christians, we need to set our sights well beyond these earthly definitions of success.
Here’s how I define success, based on Scriptural principles:
Success is living a life in obedience to the will of God and growing in character to become more like Christ.
Consider what that means:
It means that you can be a success and live successfully no matter who you are: whatever your level of intellect or talent, whatever your financial or social position, whatever your physical, emotional, or mental health. No one is left out. It doesn’t matter what you’ve suffered, what you’ve done in the past, or how good or bad you have been up to this very date. It doesn’t depend on racking up accomplishments in the world’s eyes. It’s all about moving forward from this moment on with a commitment to obey God and become like Christ.
That is truly Good News!
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