How do you Measure your Success?

This is probably one of those age old questions which has been asked many times before.

As a Christian, I can also bring in the, “Who am I trying to please?” aspect. (We are all trying to please Father, I can almost hear my all my fellow brothers and sisters call out together.)

OK, that’s all sorted then. Is this going to be one of the shortest posts ever then ???

I do believe there is a bit more to be said.

We are in the world and as such are influenced by the world.
Hopefully, if we do indeed follow Jesus, then his input to our lives is greater than the input of the world.

If this is truly the case, then why are we so quick to look for what the world thinks?

In this digital age we can post almost anything at anytime.
When we do, what is our next instinct?

Does anybody like it?
Has anybody even seen it?
Am I looking like a fool here, or do people agree with me?

Basically, we are looking to be validated.
Always asking, do you agree with me?

If we are asking any of the above questions, then what the world thinks matters to us.
It is how the world measures success.

There is nothing wrong in receiving praise for doing something well.
But if praise is what you are looking for, then it can direct your steps, possibly leading you in a wrong direction.

The crowd (world) can be very fickle, loving you one day and hating you the next.

Father is consistent.
He Loves us with an everlasting Love that does not change.
He will rebuke us, when we need to be brought back into line, but his Love for us remains the same.

Hopefully, I’m stating the obvious for all who know and love Father as I do.
So, can we measure our success by what Father thinks of us?

I can remember what a church leader said to me once.
“Won’t it be great, when I come face to face with Father for Him to say to me, well done good and faithful servant, I am pleased with you.”

At the time, I kind of thought, “That sounds nice.” But I didn’t think anything much more than that, at that point in time. (I was a young Christian at the time.)
I have since moved to the position of, “Yes, wouldn’t be good for Him to say that about me, also.”

So yes, I do want Father’s opinion of me to matter more than anything else, but it still doesn’t stop me from looking for all those likes.

Why is this?
Because I’m still in the world and what the world thinks still has an impact on me.

I do try to look to Father first.
This can put you in an unpopular position.

Jesus knew all about this.

Jesus followed His path to the cross.
He suffered, was rejected by all, was crucified and paid the ultimate price, he died.

Did that look like success? …..at the time?

The world (and the enemy) all thought that He was defeated.
We won’t hear anything else from Him. No more likes for Jesus….so the world thought.

But at the cross, SIN was DEFEATED!!!!!!!!!! (not enough ! can ever be put after that statement.)

What the world saw as failure, was in fact VICTORY and SALVATION for the world.

When He died, he paid the price for ALL that we have done wrong, and made a way so we can now enter into His presence. (If we accept and follow Jesus.)

What God saw at that moment was so much better than what the word saw at that moment.

Can we truly take this thought forward with us?
Can we truly be more concerned about what Father thinks of us instead of the what the world does?

We may fail in our own eyes, but if we are following Father, then have we failed???

I think of Daniel Wilkson (The Cross and the Switchblade) when he went to court to try and speak up for gang members who had committed a very nasty act and were being punished for it.
He went in with his bible in hand and tried to speak up for them.
The press said, what’s that in your hand, a bible, well hold it up then.
He did, and the press took there photos and his face was plastered all over the newspapers, but not in a good way.
He was ridiculed and he felt that he had brought that ridicule to the church and God as well.
Failure, in his own eyes. (At the time.)

It was an open door though!

From that open door, Teen Challenge has emerged.
A world wide organisation that helps those in great need.

Failure for man, but success for God.

So again I ask, can we measure our success by what Father thinks of us?
Can we look to Him first, before we look to the world for validation?

The lady who danced in the park, has stayed with me (since Father spoke to me about her).
https://wannabechristiandoorman.com/2021/03/28/the-lady-who-danced/

When she danced, she did it for Father.
She wasn’t worried about what the world thought.
She was not concerned (and probably not even aware) of the onlooker who was wrongly judging her.
She did it for Farther, and made His heart smile.

I try to remember this, and also try to put myself in the same place of being more concerned about what Father thinks and less concerned about what the world thinks.

Could you do likewise?

Father,
You are Lord God Almighty!
King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
There is no one greater than You.
Help me to always look to You.
Help me to be more concerned about what You think of me and less concerned about what the world thinks of me.
Help me to be in the place where You can say to me, well done good and faithful servant, I am pleased with you.
Thank you that You do Love and care for me, and every one else.
Amen.