What Is Success?

“To be what we are, and to become what we are capable of becoming, is the only end of life.” -- Baruch Spinoza

Success means being faithful to God’s purpose for you. For some people, this means using the talents and gifts God has given them to develop new products that make life easier for others. These people will discover significant material rewards for their talents because these talents line up with what society values. Others have talents society does not value near as much. Consider the person who is especially gifted at encouraging elderly persons having difficulty adjusting to life after a spouse dies. Although this person is using their talents and gifts just as, if not more, effectively than the earlier example, society simply does not value older adults (at least not Western society). Great financial gain does not issue forth from exercising these gifts and talents.

However, that is a successful life. Being the person God made you. Too many people, striving for what the world says success is, completely avoid success because they deny their basic identity as a child of God created in the image of God in order to serve the purposes of God. Financial reward may be in the mix for such people, but happiness will always remain elusive.

The challenge for those who want to be true to themselves and true to the God who created them, is ignoring the advice and direction given to them by the world and follow their hearts. God has a wonderful promise along these lines: “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Ps. 37:4 ESV). If you are faithful to God’s purpose for you, you will discover true success in life.