Serving God over success

So often in our society, we are programmed to believe success is our ultimate goal. Success brings honor, admiration and respect. It brings a sense of accomplishment, recognition, attainment of a goal. At its best, it brings good into the world, heaven to earth, which is a beautiful thing.

But maybe it's not success we're called to -- even in the good, true and beautiful endeavors that are selfless and have their roots and end in God. Maybe instead what we're called to is obedience.

It's something I've been thinking lately. We can get so caught up in success being the default that we forget it isn't our purpose in life.

It's okay to not be successful. It's okay to fail.

Some of my favorite verses in Scripture come from Hebrews 11 (NAB): "Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. ... By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place he was to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was to go. By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise; for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and maker is God. ... All these died in faith. They did not receive what had been promised but saw it and greeted it from afar and acknowledged themselves to be strangers and aliens on earth, for those who speak thus show that they are seeking a homeland."

These verses are so profound, I think, because they speak to obedience over success. These men did not receive what had been promised -- by the world's standards, they failed -- and yet, because they did what God asked and were concerned above all about simply being with God, they laid foundations for future people to be able to receive God's love and promises.

What matters more is being obedient to God. In your endeavor today, did you do what God was asking you to? Did you trust God? Did you simply allow God to be with you and allow yourself to be with God?

The gift in this is that we get to lower the stakes. It no longer becomes about us and our abilities; it becomes about the God we serve and our God's ability to free us from fear and success and pride, to do things for us and for those around us we couldn't do for ourselves. We don't have to worry about what obedience tomorrow will look like. All we have to do is be faithful today, in each moment, to what our God is asking us to do right now. And trust our God is with us in that moment, giving us the grace to do what God is asking of us.

We do not have to possess things -- either tangible or intangible. All we need is our God, who tells us: "Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom," (Luke 12:32 NAB). We do not have to serve success; instead, we can serve our God and trust our God delights in giving us what is good.