Success

I always say that we are victims of our definitions. Many times we think we have failed when we may be have succeeded beyond compare. Again we might be feeling at the ultimate in success when we are complete failures. We might be enjoying the accolades of the masses for our success when we are hopeless failures as far as life is concerned. Compare the very successful rich man and the down and out Lazarus in the Bible story. The very successful one this side of eternity was hopelessly and disastrously disadvantaged and was the one crying for Lazarus’s assistance (Luke 16: 19 – 31)

What is success? Who is a success? What defines success? WHAT IS GOD’S DEFINITION OF SUCCESS?

We are many times confusing our success or failure because we use the wrong standard. Whose standard should we use as the people of God? Do we know what God’s standard is?

In our flawed reasoning we think academic, entrepreneurial and professional success is the ultimate success. All other success is gauged using that yardstick. Yet I think we know that education and professionalism are simply means to a goal, a goal that is loftier than simple acquisition of this degree or professional competence.

Who is a successful teacher or trainer if we were to take the popular route? What defines a good school or university? What transformational impact is gauged in assigning this as successful and the other as a failure?

Successful high schools will pick A students and model them to produce an A result after their training. Some will further interview the candidate to ensure that the A was not a fluke. What is exceptional with that student getting an A? A moving vehicle requires very little power to move. The momentum is enough to propel it. It is similar to pushing anything downhill. The same goes with successful universities. They are in the business of picking A students to get A graduates. That for me is not success even using their standards.

In my view the person who should be a successful teacher is one that picks a D student and moulds him to a B result. In fact one who takes F students and makes them produce a D might be more successful than the A = A.

But capitalism says getting the greatest output from the minimum input is the ideal. I therefore do not want to create momentum where there is none. An A student already has excellent study habits. He does not have attention deficits. In other words he may be able to get an A even without the input of a teacher. What is the problem with the teacher getting all the credit for maintaining an A student on A?

Such a teacher will not want to risk getting a C student. Even a B is really a challenge. They want readymade food to just warm and serve. Then they will be applauded for being such good cooks! Whoever applauded a microwave oven?

I am not saying they do nothing. I was in two National schools and know they do some work. I just feel that they are feted when there are other teachers who are doing the really hard and transformational work when these successful teachers are just maintaining the momentum picked from primary school. Again changing an E or F student to D is an achievement that many times will need more effort than maintaining an A or moving one from B to A.

Let us get a Biblical example. King Saul was the tallest in Israel. He also was a good soldier. It was automatic that the pick would follow him and that is what happened. When push comes to shove we see these same characters swaying his obedience quotient. When he sins none of them is able to help him. He has to get help from other quarters. Was he a successful king?

Look at David. He was underage when he was anointed. Apart from Jonathan who was moved by God to ‘see’ his potential we do not see anybody else initially. Eventually he starts experiencing military success but not enough to warrant a following. Eventually he falls foul of the king and flees for his life. Look at the people who followed him.

And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men. (1Samuel 22:2)

Hopeless characters! Yet we are able to see what he makes of them later. That is my definition of success. He was followed by F students, each and every one of them. Yet he was able to mould them to conquer the whole Middle Eastern region. Any other soldier followed after these initial hopeless fellows. Incidentally some were even refugees from other nations, most likely having to flee their homelands for this or that rejection.

What did David have? He was totally submitted to God. His life mattered very little as far as God’s will was concerned. The reason he faced Goliath was not his desire for heroism but simply great indignation after hearing the giant’s blasphemy.

Another thing that emphasizes that is his dealings with the rejected king. He never faulted God’s anointing even when it was after his life though he had done nothing wrong. Imagine he was convicted for cutting a piece of his cloak! Up until the end we see him seeking reconciliation with the anointed even after he dies.

Another key thing is that he always sought to know what God wanted. Apart from the Goliath incident which I think was so straightforward to seek God’s opinion, there are very few instances where we have David doing anything before asking God for direction. The most striking for me is when this same army that he had raised wanted to stone him though he was in the same situation. He calls for the priest even under this pressure and asks what God’s orders are. No wonder he is even today remembered as a great king.

And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David. And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all. (1Samuel 30: 6 – 8)

Due to that David was secure. Even when there is an uprising we see him asking some people to remain behind. Again he refused the ark to follow him because he reasoned that God was greater than that symbol. He knew that God was not limited to symbols even though they came from Him.

A village polytechnic that transforms a person who was too ‘thick’ to write his name to a successful carpenter may be infinitely more successful than the university that produces leading architects. A school that teaches ‘retarded’ people to make beads and pottery may have accomplished more than a medical school that produces leading surgeons.

It simply depends on whose marking scheme you are looking at. If your marking scheme is the marks at the end of an exam, an A student is always tops.

But let us also look at it mathematically. What do you multiply 100 to become 100? just 1. What do you multiply almost zero to make 30? An immense number. Take the multiplication factor for effort and investment. Who therefore does more? Who is more successful? Who accomplishes more?

It pains me when I see university professors being taken to teach secondary schools that only take A students. All the while schools that are really pushing D students can’t get science teachers or any good teachers at all. No wonder we have a rotten work ethic. A person who really needs to be taught is neglected yet the one who just needs a little prodding is given everything.

No wonder the engineer who only inspects the building is paid many times the technician who does the actual building. No wonder the doctor whose main job in a ward is discharging and signing documents as per the nurse’s recommendations earns many times the nurse who is constantly in the ward. I of course know they even do surgeries, but even then they are surrounded by the same caliber of workers who earn very little compared to the doctor yet he cannot do much without them. No wonder a lawyer earns much more than the doctor yet the doctor had better grades, went through more training and does infinitely more work. No wonder a politician is paid so much money many times for making senseless noise.

I know I am treading on a slippery slope yet I feel it is important for us to look at these things with an elevated vantage point. Like I have noted we need to look at these things by considering a marking scheme from above. This is because how God views things is what really determines who we are and become. It is His marking scheme that will determine whether we have succeeded or failed.

Simply said obedience is God’s definition of success. Doing God’s will is the best success one can achieve. This is because everything we then do will have the touch of God’s hand and will achieve God’s purpose. Success outside that is short sighted and short term in achievement. Though like the rich man you might be part of the whole world that applauds your success, it might just like him leave you with worse than sand in your mouth.

A success quotient is determined by my alignment to what God’s purposes for me than what I do. Walking apart from revelation is therefore a very dangerous course to follow. I might end up breaking all records everywhere yet end up at the junk yard of success. I compare this with using steroids and other performance enhancing substances to win athletic and other sporting medals. You will lose more than you could have had you not even started on that journey.

Yet we know that God’s standard is loftier. And it is more unforgiving if one decides to pursue that to the end. Like Esau we might lose it even when we seek it with tears. Like King Saul we may lose to hear His voice however desperately we seek it.

Only obedience pleases God. Nothing we do can ever take the place of obedience. Remember this

And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king. (1Samuel 15:22, 23)

To summarize I can confidently say that obedience is the only yardstick of success. Nothing else we do will take the place of obedience in anyone’s life.

Let us look for a Biblical example. David was a good king because he sought and was obedient to God’s revelation. He is celebrated as probably the greatest king who ever lived. His son Solomon was different. He was successful beyond comprehension using a worldly yardstick. He built God’s temple with gold and took seven years to do so. He took 14 years to build his palace. Israel’s GDP shot through the roof. He made alliances with all the nations around him to consolidate his leadership, many times through marriage. But he was the reason ten tribes were taken from David which led to the depravity of the northern kingdom. GDP is therefore not a good gauge of success, obedience is.

But then what are we obedient to?

We are obedient to what God orders us. We are obedient to what God’s word says. We are obedient to God’s revelation. We are obedient to what we know God desires of us.