Thought for Today
1 Samuel 18:14 David had success in all his undertakings; for the LORD was with him.
Psalm 118:25 Save us, we beseech you, O LORD! O LORD, we beseech you, give us success!
Luke 9:31 They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine,
How do you measure success? By what metrics do you evaluate your own success and the success of others? I recently mentioned a frequently seen bumper sticker which reads, “The one who dies with the most toys wins!” Some folks measure their success by how big and/or expensive their home is, others by the cost of the car or truck they drive. Where one stands on the corporate ladder at retirement is another common metric of success. Material wealth, homes, cars, how do you measure success?
David was the first king of the united kingdom of Israel. Did David really have success in all his undertakings? David’s first wife was Michal, the daughter of King Saul. David’s relationship with his father-in-law was rough and rocky to say the least. A marriage that began in love degenerated into one of separation and hate. David did have a son, “2 Samuel 3:3 Absalom son of Maacah, daughter of King Talmai of Geshur.” Absalom later tried to depose David, to usurp the kingdom. David later committed adultery and then tried to resolve the issue by murdering the woman’s husband. The husband was a loyal soldier in David’s army; David instructed the commander to put that man in the front lines during battle. Was David successful in all his undertakings? He did die with a lot of toys. He was rich. He was on the top rung of the royal ladder in the kingdom he established. But, David was not allowed to build a temple in Jerusalem; David obviously was not a very good husband or father.
Interestingly, the word success does not appear in the New Testament. As a Christian, I would certainly rate Jesus as the most successful person in history; but, I could not do so using the metrics of society. Jesus did not invent the internet, did not create the first computer operating system, did not ever write any code for artificial intelligence. Jesus was not CEO of any corporation. Jesus was a carpenter.
There is evidence that Jesus was a good carpenter. “Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Being able to craft a lightweight yoke for oxen is certainly indicative of carpentry skill and would bring success to one’s business. However, Jesus never owned an expensive sportscar, never lived in a McMansion. Jesus was ‘only’ an itinerant teacher and preacher. We have no records of Jesus ever owning any material wealth.
Did Jesus have “success in all his undertakings” like his ancestor David? The issue and question of Jesus’ being a king was debated, even during Jesus’ appearance before Pilot. We don’t even have any evidence of the number of folks who believed in Jesus as the Christ during his own lifetime. We know about the 12 . . . but even the authors of the gospels offer slightly different lists of those 12. Scholars disagree on how many believers there were at the time of Jesus’ death on the cross. His followers were not even called Christians at that time, “Acts 11:26 . . . it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called "Christians." Was Jesus successful?
I believe Jesus was, and still is successful. I believe the greatest measure of success is the impact one has on the world in which one lives. Even more, I believe an even greater measure might be the impact one has on the relationship between others and our Creator God. Think about John 3:16-17 and what the realization of the reality of that truth says about our relationship with God. Jesus brought to this world the full realization of the width, breadth and depth of God’s love for all of God’s children. Jesus, the Christ, was Incarnate for the sole purpose of saving “the world.” Through his death on the cross, Jesus did save the world. How could anyone ever have greater success than that?
Stay safe, experience the love of God, trust God,
Pastor Ray