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Define Success


ayin jade

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In a recent discussion, someone mentioned that he felt like a failure and cited reasons why.


That got me thinking. How does one define success?


The world defines it as having wealth, a good home, fancy car, and a good job. Perhaps even a college education to go along with it. Real success, according to the world, is having power and wealth.


By those standards, sure, that guy was not a success. But whose standard should we live by?

Matthew 16: 26 For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?


Matthew 6: 19-21 Do not lay up treasures on earth for yourselves, where moth and rust corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up treasures in Heaven for yourselves, where neither moth nor rust corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.


God sets a different standard. The things of this world that define success are meaningless. Success spiritually can be defined based on one thing only: our response to Jesus.

John 6: 28-29 Then they said to Him, What shall we do that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said to them, This is the work of God, that you believe on Him whom He has sent.

Are you successful?
 

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Amen Jade.

Mat 13:45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,

Mat 13:46 who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

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Success is a journey, not a destination. So no matter how much "stuff" of the world one obtains, it'll never be enough.

But add Jesus to your journey, and you'll find that He is always enough, and has a sure destination for you, "home"

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you cant find sucess without going through failure first.

to fail is not to be a failure. it also depends on your own standards. would it effect you if someone looked down on you?

its a step away from mediocre so its closer to sucess. in fact its worse for the person looking down on you. it destroys there esteem.

they get in a "shouldy-type-of-perception" where they think you should be a certain way.

if you choose to be prideful do not use it malicously it will breed envy. although, pride is better left ignored, there is pride that can be benevolent. one that does not diminish any self esteem can lead to self respect and esteem.

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Guest Leah Hannan

Posted

I define success as knowing the Bible so well that you always know if the information being told to you the truth or not. I spent three years reading the Bible three times and I have spent the last year hand copying the Holy Bible. I'd love for every one to share this success with me. I put the video on YouTube, and I am asking others to join me in the rise of the 490s, leaving the title of Christian with those who have to do nothing more to prove they are actually Christian than to just say it. I ask you to join me in a new movement that shows the world not only our 'belief' but our 'faith' also.

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In view of the forgiveness of God, in view of the fact that my sins are as far as the east is from the west and not remembered, I see success as the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.

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Nice write up

I guess i would view success " As it is in heaven ,let it be on earth" in the lords prayer.

No sickness or poverty in heaven , no oppression or bondages etc.

Thats my thoughts

God bless

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Wow! I love the blog and all the comments to go along with it! Makes my brain click in a whole new way! Thanks for all the insight! I have had many failures along with many triumphs. But that is part of being here on earth, is learning to fall, and get right back up and dust yourself and move on, just as Jesus did!!

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Very true ,Jade- according to the world ,I am not successful in fact I have less than I have ever had then I think of those who have way to much and what good it could do for others ,many others.Greed is the God of this world: Harrod new that all to well -then I think of any one who is in hell trying to buy their way out - as they realize the truth they so easily brushed aside all for things of no value -they know it now !

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Thanks for the post, as well as the comments. I think success is relevent in the physical as well as the spiritual. I tend to lean toward having a better relationship with Jesus as better for me though. His work on the cross is the victory. As I die a little more each day to self, and He has a little more or less success in taking more ground in my life. More of Jesus , less of me = success.

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Guest wrightwaytolove

Posted

To me true success is being right with God and happy with yourself. Look at all the rich people who got lots of riches and died without God. I have

my daily struggles and am now

battling cancer.

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Success is closing your eyes in this world and waking up in Christs arms.

Mt.7:21-23

Then you know you have succeed!

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For Christians, success can never be measured by money. When people say to me, "That man's worth ten million dollars," that tells me he's wealthy, but it doesn't prove he's successful. In some cases, it could mean the opposite. For instance, if Mother Teresa, whom I consider a tremendous success, confessed she was hoarding a million dollars, I'd think she was a hypocrite. Money would prove her a fraud, not a success.

The measurement of success is simply the ratio of talents used to talents received. What you are doing with what you've got, plus who you are becoming. Are you a growing, maturing Christian? Whether you work in business, or in Christian work, or as a day laborer, professional, or academic, if you are a maturing Christian, using a large percentage of your talents, you are successful. Be glad.

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Well, I'd say that most people in my country would consider me 'accomplished', and since there aren't many jobs because I am a woman and companies would rather hire men and muslims, all of the employers who hired me before acknowledged that "I'm over qualified" for these jobs. Anyway, most people in my country would consider success in the following context: a good marriage, a great job with a good salary (which of course depends greatly on your education or your heritage), and a nice place to live in. That's success to most people.

I personally would struggle with that concept a lot...'success'.... because the definition of success in a Christian context is far different from that of a mere human context.

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From one perspective, the question of 'What is Success' is a matter of culture and time.  Just a good hundred or so years ago, the standards of success was still yes, rooted in wealth and riches, but vastly contrary to things in our day-in-age. heck, people consider it a success to have more than 300 friends on facebook.

 

Mostly ( as I find it) the parameters of success is catering to the building of reputation no matter what day in history... but I guess this much is more in the lines of, "Why want success" and not, " What is Success".

 

From another perspective, what ever is humble; what ever is true, loving, caring - what is right in God's sight - is a path of success.

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Guest hermcoll

Posted

For Christians, success can never be measured by money. When people say to me, "That man's worth ten million dollars," that tells me he's wealthy, but it doesn't prove he's successful. In some cases, it could mean the opposite. For instance, if Mother Teresa, whom I consider a tremendous success, confessed she was hoarding a million dollars, I'd think she was a hypocrite. Money would prove her a fraud, not a success.

The measurement of success is simply the ratio of talents used to talents received. What you are doing with what you've got, plus who you are becoming. Are you a growing, maturing Christian? Whether you work in business, or in Christian work, or as a day laborer, professional, or academic, if you are a maturing Christian, using a large percentage of your talents, you are successful. Be glad.

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Good point, Ayin.

 

For 70 years, people have riches on earth. But if the people lose their soul for eternity and go to a hell of sorrow and pain with no escape for eternity, then they would be better off not having those riches.

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