DRIVEN TO PERFORM - Part 3

Success is a major driving force for pastors, ministry leaders, marketplace leaders, and everyone else, for that matter.


TWO VIEWS OF SUCCESS
As Christ-followers, we have two views of success:


• Our own paradigm, formed by our upbringing, culture, training, profession, station in life, and more. A myriad of factors form our view of success from a worldly perspective, and no matter how much we don’t want to admit it, even the most obedient, surrendered Christ-followers are still influenced by this worldly paradigm.
• God’s paradigm, taught to us in the Scriptures. It tells us what true success is and is not.
We are all driven to perform. The question is, “How much of our drive aligns with God’s paradigm of success, and how much is it our worldly view?”


TRUE SUCCESS
In the realm of leadership, the Bible offers profound guidance on what constitutes true success. One of the key scriptures that sheds light on this is found in the book of Micah. The prophet Micah succinctly defines what the Lord requires of us:


"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8 NIV).


This scripture suggests that success in leadership is deeply intertwined with our character - justice, mercy, and humility before God.


Additionally, the Apostle Paul's writings offer valuable insights into the concept of success from a Biblical standpoint. In his letter to the Galatians, he talks about the fruits of the Spirit, which are a true measure of spiritual success.


"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23 NIV).


These qualities are crucial for leaders who wish to align their success with God's standards.


Furthermore, Jesus Himself provides a fundamental understanding of success in the Kingdom of God. In the Gospel of Matthew, He reminds us:


"What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?" (Matthew 16:26 NIV).


This powerful verse encourages leaders to evaluate their achievements not just by worldly standards, but by the eternal value they hold.


CONCLUSION
Let us continue our journey to ever-increasingly define success according to Biblical standards and ever-decreasingly rely on the world’s standards to measure our performance. At the end of the day, the only thing that truly matters is the Lord Christ Jesus’ voice, welcoming us into Heaven, saying: “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
​

Your aspiring servant, Daniel M.
January 31, 2024
POSTSCRIPT: Dear friends, if this daily, transparent “Conversations with Christ” blesses you, please go to www.SOLIDpastors.org, where you will find these posted, and a repository of all, in English and Spanish. If you ever want to chat, you can reach me at [email protected]. May Christ bless you richly as you have your own intimate, daily conversations with Christ.