If I can be honest, I struggle mightily with this.
I struggle with the constant pressure of the world’s repeated assertion that success means being out in front, on display, exalted above others, and if you’re not, you’re a failure.
The constant temptation is to seek that, to make it my ambition and orient my life around what puts me out in front; hustle, grind, concentrate on achieving the thing or making the money to buy the things that makes me better than others, thereby proving that I am a success.
But, in God’s creation, success is the health of the whole that we’re connected to, where we’re one member of many, contributing to the whole as the whole contributes to the members. It’s literally what we’re built for: connection, community, and contributing toward its betterment which is one and the same as self-care. We know this. We can feel it. It’s what we find most fulfilling.
Yet, I find myself desiring the allure of being the dead flower in the vase. It is singled out and put beautifully on display.
And my flesh foolishly yearns, “Ooh, pick me! Pick me!” I want to be exalted. I want to be praised. I want to be sought after. Not realizing that it neither grows others nor is being grown and was dead the moment it was separated.
Do not be deceived. Satan’s specialty is creating beautiful dead things.
Those of The Way know to be cut off is a death sentence. Oneness is our pursuit.
“Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one.”
— Mark 12:29
And, whatever comes our way as an individual, including honor, we use for the benefit and uplift of the whole (One).
“For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.
[…] But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.
And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.”
— 1 Corinthians 12:12, 24-26
So, each day I wake or every time I fell pressure to conform to the world’s measure of success, I will set out with intention to resist the world’s way and to seek contribution as a definition of success instead of conceit, success being evidenced by fruit in others.
#success #ContributionOverConceit #thriveday
“Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”
— Philippians 2:1-4
https://www.blueletterbible.org/nkjv/phl/2/1/
I cannot emphasize enough “fruit in others”. Because of the centrality of connection to The Way, success will be evidenced not just by our individual fruit but the fruit of those around us that we contribute to.
“Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”
— Matthew 7:20
“But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
— Matthew 13:23
And yet, while my aim is fruit to God and I will work towards that, I will leave evaluation to Him.
“Commit your works to the LORD,
And your thoughts will be established.”
—Proverbs 16:3
“Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.
But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself.
For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord.
Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts.
Then each one’s praise will come from God.”
— 1 Corinthians 4:2-5