Thought I'd share a few of my personal definitions of success. It's important to define success in biblical and personal ways. You need to know what you're aiming at or you will succeed at the wrong thing.
First of all, success is maximizing your God given potential. Success is synonymous with stewardship.
A second definition is this: doing the best you can with what you have where you are. Success is not circumstantial. Some of the most successful people are those in the worst of circumstances, but they make the most of them. That's success.
Here's a third definition: the people who know you the best respect you the most. We care way too much about what strangers think of us, but they won't be the ones at our graveside. I want my wife and my kids to respect me the most.
Here's a fourth and newest definition: success is trying until the day you die. I think most of us give up on our dreams way too easily and way too quickly. We stop trying. But if you're still trying you're succeeding!
One key to success is not worrying about the outcome. Winning or losing isn't the issue. Trying is winning! That is what I told Parker when he decided to run for class president. That is the lesson I learned at our triathlon this weekend. That is what I've learned as a church planter. The measure of success is this: how hard did you try?
If you pray like it depends on God and work like it depends on you you cannot fail.
First of all, success is maximizing your God given potential. Success is synonymous with stewardship.
A second definition is this: doing the best you can with what you have where you are. Success is not circumstantial. Some of the most successful people are those in the worst of circumstances, but they make the most of them. That's success.
Here's a third definition: the people who know you the best respect you the most. We care way too much about what strangers think of us, but they won't be the ones at our graveside. I want my wife and my kids to respect me the most.
Here's a fourth and newest definition: success is trying until the day you die. I think most of us give up on our dreams way too easily and way too quickly. We stop trying. But if you're still trying you're succeeding!
One key to success is not worrying about the outcome. Winning or losing isn't the issue. Trying is winning! That is what I told Parker when he decided to run for class president. That is the lesson I learned at our triathlon this weekend. That is what I've learned as a church planter. The measure of success is this: how hard did you try?
If you pray like it depends on God and work like it depends on you you cannot fail.
12 Comments:
Brilliant stuff Mark...true definitions of success...great to meditate on these pearls of wisdom!
"pray like it depends on God and work like it depends on you" gotta put that up where I can see it often to remind myself often.
many times I fall in the trap that it's either God or me, when in fact it's the both of us. Me glorifying God with what I have to offer and trusting that He will come thru when I can't anymore.
Mark, thanks for the words of encouragement! Bi-vo Pastor planting a church in the Myrtle Beach, SC area. Hoping to launch sometime this fall....
Good stuff!
Another way to say it is "Do everything you can do so that God can do what only He can do."
Good stuff Mark. Thanks.
Very encouraging. Very well done.
Your post reminds me of the parable of the ten talents. Keep up the good work.
Thank you Mark. Your words from 'In a pit with a lion' helped me to encourage a friend. She started her own business, but it seemed to start off downhill. Your words fueled her. Keep striving for excellence & continuous innovation.
You're the bomb Mark!...awesome, awesome post...
"Try not to be a person of success but rather a person of value." Albert Einstein
For myself, I define success this way: Hearing the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant." Evrything to that end.
A critical foundation of success is making sure you don't miss the ultimate issues by focusing on the temporal ones. Here' a good test question: "Am I more conformed to the image and nature of Jesus now than when I began the project or assignment?"
If the answer is "no", you fail the success test. Doesn't matter what the newspaper or the board or the blog commentors say.
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