How do yo measure success? Who comes to mind when you hear the word “success”? Do you think of someone like Steve Jobs of Apple Inc.? Henry Ford? That business man with the big house down the road? Most of us generally measure success by the amount of money, popularity, or influence that one person has. However, this is counter intuitive to how God measures “success”.
In the Kingdom of God, success is gauged in the complete opposite fashion. Jesus lays it out quite plainly in the sermon on the mount;
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven... Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” Later in Matthew, Jesus states “...the last will be first, and the first will be last."
Success in the Kingdom of God is not money, its not popularity, and its not influence. God is not measuring us by these exterior criteria. Success in the kingdom is the giving away of money rather than hoarding it, success in the kingdom is the shedding of popularity for meekness, success in the kingdom of God is the giving up of persuasive influence for a submissive heart.
One of the biggest lies that we can buy into as Christians is believing that our worldly success is directly linked to our closeness to the kingdom of God. Don't feel that your lack of wealth, power or influence are a result of your lack of faith. Instead, wear these “shortcomings” and “failures” with a badge of honor. Because we're all destined for small things in this life, and grand things in the next.
You are not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You're not your khakis
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