Is This Your Definition Of Success?

I have written before about quotes that get stuck in my mind and will not fade. Well, today I would like to share another one. This quote was not necessarily directed specifically at those of us in business, but you will quickly see that it applies directly to us and how we each define success!

The quote in the spotlight today is from Billy Graham. Graham is not one of the original disciples or even the author of any of the lesser known books of the Bible. At the same time, he is someone that most of us look up to and respect immensely. He has lived a life true to his talk. He has certainly remained committed to spreading the gospel and is arguably one of the all-time greatest evangelists. Here is his quote:

When you first read that quote, what are your thoughts?

Do you think about your preference between the two choices?

Do you wonder which is more likely?

Two Choices

There are two areas I want to focus on regarding the success lesson we can learn from this quote. If you will stop and think through these two areas with me, I believe you will see that this quote can be life changing for all of us.

The first thought I want to discuss is the actual decision between these two choices. On one hand, hearing “What a great guy” from the crowd is something most people would desire. There are very few people out there that would not be excited to hear the crowd consider and announce them as great. This is especially true of those of us in business. Don’t you agree?

However, if we are disciples of Jesus, then it stands to reason that we should want to hear, “Well done!” from Him. This commendation is straight from the parable of the talents and is an indication that the servant pleased the master. For us to please Jesus should be something we desire, right?

Decision Between The Two

So the first decision we need to make is which of these we will seek. Will we, as Christian business owners and leaders, seek to hear commendations from the crowd? Or will we seek to hear Jesus express His pleasure with the way we have lived our lives.

While this seems like a clear-cut decision to some, to others it is a real challenge. The simple decision between the two can be a tough one, even when there are no specific circumstances to show the contrast between them.

Well Done!

Regardless of the difficulty, I think it is clear from the teachings of the Bible that we are to seek to hear, “Well done” from Jesus instead of pleasing the crowd (Matthew 22:37-40; James 4:4). This should be our very definition of success in this life! I encourage you to pray through this very decision if it is not clear to you yet. God is faithful and will guide you.

Assuming we have all made the decision to seek to hear, “Well done” from Jesus, a riddle comes to mind. Here it is:

Success Defined

So, the decision to define our success as hearing Jesus say, “Well done” is certainly the first step. However, that decision is not enough. We must now live it out! What does that look like?

Simply put, our every action should be measured and determined according to whether or not it will lead us closer to hearing, “Well done.” It really does not get any more complicated than that.

The problem is that it does get more complicated than that when you throw in specific circumstances. At least it appears to! In my next post, we will take a look at this second part of our success lesson from this quote. We will see what this definition of success looks like in the face of tough circumstances.

Questions

How do you define success as a Christian in business?

Are you eager to hear, “Well done” from Jesus?

Does your definition of success ever drift under tough circumstances?

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