What does it mean to succeed in life?
Ask ten random people on the street and you’ll get ten different answers. But whether it’s the number in your bank account, the body you see in the mirror, the title on your business card, or what people say about you at the funeral, there are some commonalities that run through most people’s vision of a successful life.
In his Summa Theologica, philosopher/theologian Thomas Aquinas described four common substitutes for God: Wealth, pleasure, power, honor. Wealth promises security, pleasure promises comfort, power promises control, honor promises the acceptance of others.
But the Scriptures group them even more closely together: Whether we idolize wealth, pleasure, power, or honor, ultimately, these are all just different expressions of love for the world. Look at how John describes it in his first epistle:
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
– 1 John 2:15–17
Those three cover every type of worldly success:
- The desires of the flesh -> pleasure, comfort
- The desires of the eyes -> wealth, accumulation
- The pride of life -> honor, power, fame
Now, none of these things are bad in themselves; money can be used for God, pleasure can be a gift from God, power enables us to bless others, and there is a kind of honor that is noble. But these all become problematic when we turn them into idols.
So, if worldly success isn’t true success, then what is? Eternal success.
I talk a lot about eternal perspective here, because it really is the point at which a Christian vision of success differs most radically from how the world defines it. It’s a different focal point.
In the final analysis, before the throne of Christ, the question will not be, “How much did you earn?” or “What did you achieve?” or “How will people remember you?” but only this: “Were you faithful?”
The same way a CEO calculates everything toward meeting certain metrics of business success, a Christian should be intentional about designing a life that is attuned for faithfulness in every area.
One way I’ve found helpful in keeping my days focused on eternal matters is by having a written well done statement. That’s just a simple sentence or two describing what I would hope Christ would say to me about my faithfulness in each domain of stewardship. It gives me clarity by helping me compare what I’m currently doing with what I’m aiming at.
Each quarter, when I’m setting my goals for the next three months, I pull out that well done statement and measure what I call the faithfulness gap. The faithfulness gap is just the difference between right now and “well done.” It’s an honest look at whether my goals and habits are moving me toward the life Scriptures calls me to. Are they bringing me closer to or further away from “well done?”
If you want to hear those words, “well done, good and faithful servant,” you’ve got to approach your life stewardship with a little bit of intentionality. Deliberately seek out where you are falling short and take steps to close that faithfulness gap, wherever you find it.
