Success?
When Russian people congratulate someone for a birthday or for the new year, they extend wishes for good luck, good health, and a word meaning success or advancement, “oo-spyeck.” These three things are obviously important to our friends and neighbors, and we ourselves have used them as we congratulate them. Their emphasis on success got me thinking about what the Bible has to teach regarding success.
The Faith chapter, Hebrews 11, lists the most well-known servants of the Old Testament. Many are outstanding examples of faith, but not of success. In fact, the Hebrew writer says, “they did not receive the things promised,” and again, “yet none of them received what had been promised.” We can read in the Old Testament that serving the Lord was often exciting, dangerous, demanding, uncertain, and for some, fatal. Success, however, never appeared to be a priority.
If we look in the New Testament, we will fail to find any challenges for the believer to become a success. Jesus taught:
26. . .whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:26-28)
This doesn’t sound like a recipe for success.
Even so, there is reason for hope. Think about this wonderful promise from God that has encouraged countless generations of believers:
11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. “ (Jeremiah 29:11-13)
In the New Testament, Paul writes these challenging words:
10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)
It might be that Jeremiah’s idea of “prosper” doesn’t mean worldly success, but that we will find purpose, contentment, and hope as we seek our Lord with all our hearts and do the good works He has for us to do.
When our years of ministry come to a close in Russia, it won’t a priority whether I have achieved any personal success. Instead, like the men and women listed in Hebrews, I want to be recognized as one who was faithful.