3 years ago when I wrote and submitted my first article to a magazine, I had no concept of where it would take me. My first article was almost an accident, but it was one of the best accidents I ever made. My goal wasn’t to be an author, and in fact, writing was not my strong point and definitely not something I wanted to do more of than I had to.

That last couple years have been a growing, stretching and learning experience for me. Most of all, I have grown closer to God. I have grown closer to God because He has taken the time to lead me forwards and onwards. And now, looking back, I realize that God has been doing an awesome work in my life. But, what hurts most is when I discovered that self, yes that great dragon we all are well acquainted with, stands up and says, “Look what I have done.”

Friends, success is not measured by what we have done. It is measured by what God has done. And this is the topic I want to focus on today. I want to share what it is that gives us joy and happiness. I want to show you that we can be just as fulfilled at the first step as we are at the last. I want to show you that your accomplishments are not what measure your success.

Have you succeeded?

Well maybe in 20 years once I’ve reached all my currently set goals I’ll be able to say, “Yes, I’ve succeeded.” Maybe once I get elected as the Prime Minister I’ll be able to say, “I’ve succeeded.” Or… maybe, when it comes to the end of this day, I’ll be able to say, “I’ve succeeded.”

What is it that measures success? Is it the completion of this article I’m working on? Well, in a way I’ll have accomplished this goal and will have succeeded. I will have reached my intended destination. But friends, that’s not the success I refer to. Life is not all about reaching destinations. Life is about walking with God. Success is about walking with God.

A dear sister confided in me one day. She said, “David, I feel so left behind. Everybody is doing so much. People like Alex and Brett, like you, make me feel so… unable.”

And friends, I have my own list of people that make me feel incapable. Oh yes I do, and I fear it stretches much longer than it ought. But I want to tell you right now: that list does not matter. That list is irrelevant. Because it doesn’t measure our success.

The Yardstick

The yardstick of true success isn’t actually a yardstick at all; rather, it’s a heartstick. If you want to know how you are succeeding in life, there’s only one thing to do, examine your heart. See if your hand is in God’s hand, if your heart is trusting Him, if your ears are hearing His voice. And when we do this, we don’t need other people to tell us of our achievements to know that we are succeeding.

But on that note, how can we truthfully say, “I have succeeded”? What have we done that counts to success? When God takes us and leads us, when he calls us and we obey, what counts as success? It’s faith, it’s obedience, it’s believing God! It’s the same faith, the same obedience that God put in our hearts in the first place. Truly, we love him only because He first loved us. Truly, there is nothing that I have done. But yet, I have succeeded. I have succeeded, by grace. Oh, the joy of mercy, the wonder of grace.

The Joy in Success

Friends, there is a glory in success. There is a joy that passes all understanding. When we’re walking with God, He is our joy. We don’t need to pursue anything else for our pleasure. We don’t need to reach any other height for greater exhilaration, we don’t need to climb to any other position where we will be more famous. In this place, friends, with our hand in God’s hand, is where we ought to be. If you’re the president or the plumber, you’ll still have succeeded.

Called out of your Comfort Zone

Recently I wrote the article, “The Best You Have”, and I covered the topic of our efforts, our energy, and how that relates in God’s plan for our success. You may ask me now, “How does giving God the best that I have change my life if all that matters is our walk with God?” I’m pretty sure that question was on somebody’s mind, because it was on mine, but there’s a simple answer. It is God’s will that we give him our best and our all, therefore, in my life this translates directly to a matter of obedience. Friend, if you’re not giving God everything, you’re missing out on so much. If you are, you’re missing out on nothing. When God has our life to work with, our best devoted to His glory, He can do awesome things. Friends, that’s success.

And there’s an incredible exhilaration when God calls us to run with Him. It reminds me of the first time (only time) I went skiing. First, I took a lesson and learned how to ski. Then I spent an hour on the small slope. Then I went for the larger slope. Oh my, oh my, I fell a few times on my first trip down. But finally, on the second trip down the hill, somehow I relaxed. Once I relaxed, the thrill was incredible, and I wasn’t falling down. No. I was racing down, with the wind in my face, my poles at my side, cutting across, cutting back, swooping down into line for the next ride back up.

But what happened? When did I begin enjoying it? When I gave up on my fears, and relaxed. I know it’s a poor illustration. But friends, when we’re ready to give up our fears, when we’re ready to relax and let God take control…

He’ll give us the ride of our life!