What is it? How
do we attain it? How do we define it? What does it look like when we attain
it? Is it measured by position, wealth,
prestige? These are all question we need to think about. Success verses Failure that is the struggle
we are all engaged in. We all know what a gage is; it is a measuring device and
there are many different types of gages. As Christians we must be careful what gage we
use for success. The world has its gages
and they have a materialistic and temporal view. The scripture is the most
important gage anyone can use. It gages
our character, our motives and measures us by the Character of Jesus. Success
is not just about a single accomplishment but about our journey. Failure on a
given day does not mean failure for the week. Success in business does not
assure success at home and family. I
think the 15th chapter of John gives us the greatest gage for
success. It is the words of Jesus and
they are powerful.
Let’s start with this, “without me you can do nothing”
this says to me that success begins with dependence upon God. What He ask us to do and be is beyond our
ability it can only be accomplished as we walk in relationship with Him. I will be so bold as to say this: all success
from God’s point of view flows from relationship with Him. Many of us think the key to success is to
work harder, burn the candle at both ends they say. Listening to Jesus suggest that maintaining
relationship with His is the top priority. Is it possible for anyone to walk in
intimate relationship with Christ and at the same time be a failure? What looks like success to us may be failure
to God and what looks like failure to the world may be success to God. We often think that success is about the
right method or program but these can become cheap substitutes for the failure
of relationship with Christ. Listening to what Jesus says in John 15 our
calling is not to produce fruit but to bear it.
There is a big difference which often is overlooked. I was reading a modern translation of the
Bible recently and the translator had substituted the word produce for bear. I wrote under the word produce, bad
translation. Jesus teaching is
clear. The limb does not produce an
apple, it bears it. The apple comes from a living connection with the life of
the tree. It is the life of the tree
which produces. The limb bears because it is connected. You can tie a plastic apple on a dead limb
and call it fruit if you like but you are only pretending. I will say it again, all authentic Christian
ministry flows from relationship. The fruitfulness of our lives and of His
Church is dependent upon connection with the Divine life flow of His
Spirit. The scripture speaks of the
Christian life as, “the new and living way.”
All programs and plans which do not flow from His heart will never be
called success by Him. As my friend
Kerry Willis would say, “relationship rules.”
jfs
