Keys to Living a Life that God Calls Successful

One of humanity’s primary desires is to live a life of deep meaning and purpose. We are all born with an insatiable craving to make a difference, to do something that stands the test of time.  I shudder at the thought of looking back on my life with regret about all the good things I should have done. “Unfulfilled potential” is not something you want to hear when you stand before the Lord! 

This conviction should cause you to regularly evaluate your current position in life, to determine whether you are on the trajectory God is calling you. Far above man’s approval, we want to be a success in God’s eyes.  We want to live a life that will one day be rewarded by God saying,

‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ (Matthew 25:23 NIV)

How God Defines Success

In order to be a success in God’s eyes, we need to know how He measures faithfulness. After much investigation of the Scriptures, I am certain that the way the world and God define success is very different. 

Unfortunately, much of the world’s definition of success has overflowed into the church.  The famous Christian minister with a large organization is deemed highly successful, while the pastor at a small country church is seen as ineffective.  But does God view it this way? 

I am constantly fighting off my concern about how others appraise me.  My inner craving for popularity in man’s eyes needs to be crucified daily.  But by God’s grace, I now understand that the Lord’s perspective is truly all that matters. 

I want a life that God renders successful! After I take my final breath on this planet, His is the only opinion that means anything. God’s opinion about how I lived my life will impact the way I exist for all eternity. 

Do you see why defining God’s view of success is so important?  It is critical for us to diligently search God’s word to discover His criteria for having an effective life.  The approval of man is temporary and will one day mean nothing. God’s approval is eternal, and living for Him alone is the only way to be successful in this life and the next. 

Being Successful by Abiding in Christ 

Becoming successful in Christ is not a confusing process.  Here is what it comes down to.  First, it is of utmost importance that we are continually abiding in Christ.  When we notice any drifting from Him either through the sins of omission or sins of commission, we quickly repent and draw near to the throne of grace with confidence.

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16).

Here is where the devil will try to obstruct you from abiding in the Lord.  One of Satan’s primary deceptions is to hide the revelation given to us in Romans 8:1: “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”  The devil understands that the most dangerous threat to his kingdom of darkness is a man or woman confident in God.  The moment we lose that confidence, he can begin to work. 

The enemy desperately wants you to forget about your identity in Christ so that you instead focus on your sin.  This is where he can destroy our confidence and replace it with guilt and shame.  These feelings of defeat have a snowball effect in that guilt begets more guilt, which leads us further away from grace.  This is the point where our success in the Lord is at its greatest danger!

But I have good news!  We don’t need to wallow in this disgrace. Our return to abiding in Christ is available the second after we sin.  We were saved by grace through faith the moment we gave our life to Jesus, and this same principle applies throughout the entirety of our life. 

 We do not need to earn our way back into God’s favor. Repent and return to abiding in Him!  Don’t beat yourself up over your failure. You do not need to sit on the spiritual sidelines for a few days before returning to God. 

Being Successful by Obeying Christ

The second piece to the successful Christian life is merely obeying whatever the Spirit tells you to do.  This next statement goes without saying, but just so I am clear, the Spirit will never instruct you to do something contrary to the word of God. Obedience to the Spirit of God never contradicts observation of the word of God. 

Unfortunately, obedience has gotten a bad rap in our society.  People often view obedience as being forced into submission; it involves us being required to do something we don’t want to do.  This attitude is not the way of the kingdom. 

Once we come to know the Lord, there is an immediate shift in our identity.  The Bible describes that the transformation is so extensive that we actually become a “new creature” (2 Cor 5:17).  Any desire we feel that is not in obedience to Christ no longer comes from who we are in our new identity. 

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me (Galatians 2:20). 

So, when the Spirit leads us to obey God, we are being led to conform to our new nature and not our old.  There is a joy that arises within our spirits as we follow the Lord no matter how difficult that act of obedience is to our fleshly nature.  

Success is Found Primarily in Who You Are Not What You Do

The source of success is not in what you do but in who you are.  The natural overflow of who you are is what you will do.  If you recognize you are not doing the right things, the answer is not to just “try harder.”  That will get you nowhere and will inevitably lead to you feeling like a failure. 

The answer for how to stop doing what is wrong and start doing what is right is to engage in deeper spiritual formation. As you are conformed to the image of Christ, the proper behavior will follow.    

Jesus directly describes this issue in the gospel of Luke: 

The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart (Luke 6:45).  

What we think, say, and do is an overflow of what fills our hearts.  Sure, we can fake it from time to time, willing our way into good behavior, but this method leads only to temporary results.  If you are looking for long-term authentic sanctification, the only way to arrive at that destination is a transformed heart. 

Finding Peace in God’s Omniscience 

One final aspect that brings us joy in our obedience is knowing that God is omniscient.  Being omniscient means that God knows everything there is to know about all things in the universe.

He counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them. Great is our Lord and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite (Psalm 147:4-5).

He has never, nor will He ever, learn anything new.  The One who is the originator of all things has perfect knowledge of the things He has created. Taking this one step further, we can also conclude that God is perfectly wise.  This means that God knows the absolute best way to accomplish His purpose in and through us. 

The One who knows every minute detail of the problems we face also knows the best possible solution for them as well.  This revelation should bring about much confidence and joy as we follow the One who will never lead us astray.