Creative Scribble

Ask ten pastors what would make their church or ministry a success, and you will get ten different answers. Some will say growing larger in number means reaching more people with the Gospel and that would be success. Others would say going “deeper” through one-on-one discipleship is success. Others still would say planting new churches all across the region would be success. Some, like me, would say just getting a new church up off the ground would be success!

I believe God wants us all to be successful and that he has called us each to a different definition of that success. For some of us, it will be larger crowds. For others it will be a long line of disciples or a history of starting new churches. Regardless, David wrote in Psalm 20:4 “May all your plans succeed.” If it’s God call on your life, he wants and expects you to succeed!

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The problem comes in our definition of that success and, more specifically, when we impose our definition on others. Saul, in his jealousy, did that to David. The more David succeeded, the more jealous Saul became. That’s because God’s definition of success for David was not the same as it was for Saul. They were two different leaders with two different callings and sets of strengths. Had David tried to be successful in the eyes of Saul, he would have fallen short of God’s plan for him.

So what is God’s plan for you? What does he define as success for you based on your gifts? I’m asking myself that very question right now and begging God to show me what success will be for this new church. Regardless of the answer, I can’t let the Sauls of the world distract me from that. Just because one church focuses on world missions doesn’t mean that will be success for us. Just because another focuses on one-on-one discipling doesn’t mean that alone is what God will use for this church. Just because another church triples in size in one year doesn’t mean we are unsuccessful if the same doesn’t happen for us.

So what happens if we let the success of others define our success instead of God? We find ourselves in a big ole mess.