Defining Success

After spending hours with over a 100 pastors the past 3 years a dialogue usually erupts regarding the definition of success. Unfortunately pastors have gotten caught up in the same components that exist in the secular arena; such as bottom lines like numbers, budgets, baptisms, and other tangible results. Consequently the church continues to hold up the success stories and gurus of the faith as our role models of success.

As I was contemplating this blog, God showed me 4 measurements of success that could define anybody's ministry without the bottom line being the paramount issue. Here they are:

1. Operating in, understanding and accepting our giftedness. When we fail to operate and understand our giftedness we end up spending our time on compensating for our weaknesses and thus exposing our insecurity.

2. Maintaining honest intimacy with God. We must continually allow God to transform our lives from the inside out. Remember that Joshua's success was based on the meditation of God's word.

3. Being intentional about the Great Commission and Great Commandment. When we lose sight of the simple calling of God in our lives we have missed the target. Success is hitting what we are aiming at.

4. People's lives are being transformed. This is where we need to be alert to those individual lives that are being touched. Even though numbers are not the issue there should be signs of tangible fruit.

I truly believe if we keep these four principles of success in mind a "well done thou good and faithful servant" will be waiting for us. What do you think?