God-Sized Dreams: A 30-Day Journey of Faith and CourageSample

What Success Really Means

We live in a world of numbers. We can measure everything in our lives from pounds on a scale to the amount of likes we have on social media. That makes it tempting to measure the success of our God-sized dream in a similar way, too. It makes us feel safer to tell ourselves, “When I reach this specific goal, then I will be a success.”

Even if we don’t attach a number to it, we can still come up with other ways of being able to check the “success” box on our lives. Happy family. Flourishing career. Deep spiritual life.

Yet God calls us to see success differently. He doesn’t measure or define it like we do. Rather than seeking a result, he invites us to see success as part of a relationship. To say it simply: true success is being a good and faithful servant who brings happiness to our Master.

"Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!" (Matthew 25:21 NIV)

What does this look like in our daily lives?

First, the word good is about our character. It describes who we are. Thankfully, we don’t have to make ourselves “good.” Indeed, there’s no way we can. We’re imperfect people who need a Savior. Yet when we receive what Jesus did for us, we do become “good.” And we bring our Master joy as we live out more and more of who we already are in him. As Paul said, “Only let us live up to what we have already attained” (Philippians 3:16 NIV).

The word “faithful” describes our actions, what we do. In other words, being faithful means being trustworthy and obedient. God can count on us to say yes to what he asks of us and to follow through on it. Will we mess up? Absolutely. What counts is that when we do, we come running back to our Master and let him help us.

In essence, success means yielding to the ongoing process of Jesus transforming us in every area of our lives. When we do so, we bring him joy. It’s beautiful the way this verse describes it: “Come and share your master's happiness” (Matthew 25:21 NIV). In other words, the joy of the Master in his servant is ongoing.

Many of us go through life believing that God barely tolerates us—that he’s just hanging on until we get to heaven when he can actually enjoy us. But that’s not true. You can (and do) bring God joy right now.

What this also means is that if you are obedient, you cannot fail. Oh, it may look like it in the eyes of the world at times. But if you are faithful to your Master, then you are a success no matter what.

You can be a success every single day for the rest of your life. Simply get up each morning and pray, “God, I am your servant. Do with me what you will. Use me as little or as much as you want.”

In ways that can’t be measured, beyond what you can count or even imagine, he will answer that prayer.

And when you are home with him, you can celebrate together—forever.

Go Deeper

Read the parable of the good and faithful servant in Matthew 25:14-30.

God, I’m so grateful that you changed the way we define success. I want to be a good and faithful servant who brings you joy every day. I am yours. Do with me what you will. Use me as little or as much as you want. I look forward to the day when I can celebrate with you for all eternity. Amen.

What’s one truth you want to remember?

What’s the next small step you’ll take?