How Does the Bible Define Success?

How exactly does the Bible define success? Discover the three things scripture says about this crucial topic…and just what it means for you…

We seem to need a wake-up call.

Akin to our nature is the yearning in our hearts to make something of ourselves, to reach the sought-after pinnacle of our Mt. Everest of meaning.

To find true achievement in our lives. Accomplishments worthwhile.

Yet we travel the wrong road when our vision of success attained is off course.

The results of a fairly recent Gallup poll on success are striking…Americans deemed the top three areas of of defining success in their lives to be Education, followed closely by Relationships and then Character.

But the way we perceive society deems success?

Our Status, at a whopping 45.9%.

Largely behind is Education, at almost 20%.

Finance finishes third; the rest, bits & pieces.

That’s how we think society itself values success. We see society putting worth and value in our status.

Our Facebook profile and how many “friends” we’ve acquired. Our position at work and how high we’ve managed to climb the totem pole. Our social media presence. How we look to others.

Is this truly what we want? Is this where our happiness lies? At the end of our life, is this what we would want to look back on and see, in order to feel a peace and contentment with what we’ve done with our life?

We would be sorely mistaken to let society define success for us.

In order to find the true definition of success, we must go back to the one who created the notion of success in the first place.

For a completely non-biased list, simply based on God’s word and what it says in regards to success…

Here are the Top 3 Examples of How the Bible Defines Success:

1. Success results when God is with you (1 sam 18:14 & gen 39:2-3) – David from the Old Testament is a perfect example of this, especially in contrast with Saul. God granted David much success in battle because He was with him, whereas Saul succumbed to his jealousy of David and turned from God.

In turn, God departed Saul (1 sam 18:12). Saul’s demise was inevitable, seeking mediums and the life of David himself, before taking his own life in battle.

2. Success is the outcome of keeping His commandments (prv 3:1-4, joshua 1:7-8) – In possessing the land of Canaan, God had commissioned Joshua to be strong, courageous, and give the utmost care to following His word…

”For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” -joshua 1:8 [emphasis mine]

The walls of Jericho fell triumphantly as Joshua obeyed God’s extraordinary and unexpected commands.

3. Success is fulfilling God’s will and purposes for your life (john 4:34 & 17:4, prv 31:10-31) – The 31st chapter of Proverbs plays as resplendent poetry as we witness this notable woman providing for her house, implementing wisdom in decision making, working with meaningful hands, and more…and her husband and children name her blessed (prv 31:28).

An even more fitting example is the only person who’s been able to accomplish this flawlessly – Jesus himself. He completely and perfectly fulfilled God’s will and purposes for His life on earth, and in the face of incomprehensible suffering (mt 26:42).

Beauty Before Our Eyes

The Good Book is brimming with excellent illustrations of men and women faithfully following God and securing success in their stretch (as well as many pictures of those who didn’t do this).

But what could this look like for us today?

How does someone appear who’s walking with God and in His commandments, truly fulfilling purpose and calling?

Oh so many ways this beauty can show itself…

It’s the tiresome mom who pegs away,
day after day,
pouring life into house and husband,
lavishing those many hours in shepherding little hearts,
raising kids to love the Lord…

…the missionary who sacrifices the comforts of home,
perhaps even the luxuries of a first world country,
to pursue God’s heart for His lost sheep….

…the figure delved in a world of chronic physical or emotional pain,
holding onto shreds of hope and peace and word and truth
as they steadily search for the journey’s healing…
rather than giving up and calling it quits.

It’s the remarkable cashier with the enduring smile,
determined to spread the light and joy,
in whatever way they can.
Bright illumination where sunshine so rarely shows.

The grandparent who resists impulse to retire
and venture the world,
choosing instead to rest a bit closer by,
to serve where needed.

The twenty-, thirty-, forty-, fifty-, whatever-something
who hears the unmistakable beckoning of God in their life
to fulfill a specific life’s calling…
and instead of shirking away,
chooses to be brave.

These people may not hold any kind of coveted “status” in society’s eyes. They also may have little to no post-secondary education (top survey category for evaluating one’s own success).

Rather, it’s the nuggets of success they mine in a lifetime of following God and completing specific purposes crafted uniquely for them.

Beauty of existence in taking up your own intimate cross and refusing to follow self, which only leads to unmet desires (luke 9:23).

Sacrifice self…and uncover life.

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

– matthew 16:24-26

It’s living it in reckless abandon for a God who is with you as you abide in Him.

It’s following closely to precious word and truth, not turning from the right or the left, knowing the lines will fall in pleasant places (ps 16:6).

It’s journeying through whatever calling He’s guided us to (ps 32:8) – regardless of how menial it may appear in the world’s eyes.

It’s being a person after God’s own heart.

This godliness the Bible paints for us is key to the success, happiness and contentment of heart so essentially bred into our natural human desires.

In the scheme of life, this godliness is great gain (1 tim 6:6).

And at the end of our life, peering back through the years and moments time has captured and sealed away, the success of living that life lived for Him will be keenly felt.

The peace and contentment of living a life well-lived.