Success! Success! Success!
Everybody’s dream, right?
It’s interesting how society has conditioned us to see success- a house, a car or two, millions in some bank accounts, a well-paying job, popularity etc. These things are not necessarily bad but are they good indicators of success?
As young people who are Christians, we must redefine what success means to us, otherwise, the world will do it for us.
Success is being in the will of God per unit time; =will of God/time
The will of God, a popular term in Christian vocabulary is simply the plan and purposes of God.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.- Romans 12:2
Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground- Psalm 143: 10
Let's look at two women, Esther and Ruth.
Esther was successful and so was Ruth. A comparison of the two stories shows how creative God can be when it comes to training His children, He never runs out of storylines. Esther had a relatively easy life – a beautiful young girl who married the King and lived in wealth- while Ruth experienced loss and hardship but eventually had her happy ending.
However, Esther was not more successful than Ruth because she was Queen neither was Ruth more important because she married a Jew. Both women fulfilled God's plans for them even though that looked very different for each of them. Some of us are like Ruth, our stories take a lot of turns before we get settled, for others like Esther, it is a straight path to success.
If the two women lived in the same era, there would have been a lot of unnecessary comparisons between the two. We have been blessed to have read their stories in their complete form so we know that no matter how bad it might be for Ruth now, it will get better. We know that Esther seems to be in a tight spot with this Haman drama but she will succeed. It would be wrong for Ruth to compare herself to Esther.
Since we all have different callings and purposes, what success looks like for me will be different from what it’ll look like for you.
The second factor in the equation is time. Everything will not happen all at once. Preparation is essential in the success equation. Esther spent a year undergoing beauty treatments, Ruth on the other hand spent time taking care of her mother-in-law and working in the fields while she waited. It might be longer for one and shorter for the other.
Jesus waited 30 years before He started ministry. And we wonder what was He doing before that.
The Bible says “he grew in wisdom and stature” (Luke 2:25). That’s the growth that occurred while He waited. The journey is as important as the destination. Even though He was the Word personified, He had to submit and learn. He had to respect His parents. He knew who He was but that did not stop Him from humbling himself and learning.
Success takes time so give yourself some time! Be kind to yourself, and stop setting unrealistic goals and expectations.
As we pray and study the Word, the unique plan of The Father for our lives is revealed to us. We are given a sneak peek at what God’s idea of a successful Juliana or a successful Kwame looks like.
Self-identity and knowledge through the lens of scriptures does a lot to prevent unnecessary feelings of jealousy and envy while sharpening your focus on your unique assignment.
With this vision of our future self in view, we can then compare our present with it and put in the work to make it a reality. Not comparing ourselves with others, but who we are now with who God wants us to be.
If you’re living a rather boring life but you know that this is where God wants you to be, you, my friend are a successful person.
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