"Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm." —Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister
At work I was asked by one of my reports for one word to describe what I'd like to see in our Department. I thought about words like: clarity, communication, connection, order, structure, results... Then I considered one our CEO has mentioned several times—success. I figured if we were successful, all the other words would be fulfilled. SUCCESS means the accomplishment of an aim or purpose; the good outcome of an undertaking. The Latin succedere means 'to come close after.' In non-profit circles, we employ 'success measures,' the specific, quantifiable metrics used to assess whether goals or objectives have been achieved, often referred to as Key Performance Indicators (KPI's). In life and in business these markers are often tied to numbers, relationships, achievements, or feelings of satisfaction. They say, "If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time."
What do you believe makes your life successful? your career? your money or net worth? an academic degree? the neighborhood in which you live? Whatever the markers...we live in a world that seems to always be striving for and anxious about success. Perhaps that's because SUCCESS is also defined as the attainment of fame, wealth, or social status. We love those attributes more than virtues. I rarely hear us depict success as John Wooden did—peace of mind because you've become the best version of yourself. I'm not sure we'd even care about a quote from him if he hadn't won 10 NCAA Basketball Championships in 12 years at UCLA with the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton...it's funny how that works.
Though I've generally shied away from the pursuit of success; I'm intrigued that the Bible does not. God was not shy about proclaiming that Abraham and his descendants would be materially blessed and have notoriety in their context. (Gen. 12:1-3) According to the Lexicon, the Hebrew word gadal means to grow, to become great, to magnify, or to promote. It is used to describe physical growth, such as a child's development, as well as metaphorical growth, such as the increase in power or influence of a person or nation. The Jews believed the idea of becoming great or being magnified was associated with Divine favor and covenantal promises. Success was directly tied to one's relationship with Yahweh. This was emphasized when Moses' successor Joshua lead the Children of Israel into a fight for their promised land at age 85. He told them:
7“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:7-9)
Sometimes we struggle with success because we're not confident about ourselves (impostor syndrome). Perhaps we've been unsure whether God really wants us to succeed, or maybe we know ourselves too well and are concerned about falling into pride—getting a bad case of the big head. Whatever the case...success isn't a bad thing if we're obtaining it God's way, and we've prepared spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally for what comes with that success.
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