‘Being successful’ is often what we aim for. It may be having a ‘successful career’ or a ‘successful marriage’. A ‘successful team’ is usually one which wins!
But what is ‘success’? Is it success if you failed an exam even though you did your best? Is it success if you invited a friend to church or to Alpha and they declined? Is it success if you have been faithful in serving even though results are hard to see?
Too often our world values measures of success in a very obvious and outward way – success is being wealthy, happy, popular, famous, winning, etc. Success is judged by certain results we deem desirable.
God’s idea of success is quite different. I would say success is to live a life for God and to die still trusting God. It doesn’t matter too much what other factors come in to play – how long or short our lives, how much or little may have passed through our hands, what other people may think of us.
The Bible talks more about ‘bearing fruit’ than it does about ‘success’. John 15:8 says “this is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples”. The secret of such fruit bearing is being ‘in Christ’ – “neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me” (John 15:4).
As a church we want to be ‘fruitful’. Does that mean the church will grow and expand? It may well do, but it may not happen quickly or easily. Fruit-bearing takes time, and means patiently tending those trees on which the fruit is borne.
In the parable of the sower Jesus indicates that fruit comes out of good soil. Nurturing our hearts and lives to be good soil is a real challenge today. That good soil, is the soil of God’s word in the Bible – first-hand encounter with God’s word – each of us wrestling with the Bible ourselves! It is to choose to worship – some people today think going to church isn’t necessary – but how then can we truly worship? It is to talk to God, to pray, to spill our hearts, hopes, aspirations and fears before the heavenly throne. It is to love and serve those around us
This is why at St Luke’s we promote our Bible reading plans and journals, we encourage small group participation for mutual support, we aim to build one another up in faith in our Lord Jesus, and we try to help people fulfil their God-given potential. We believe in people, in God’s work in all of us, young and old.
This is the kind of success I love to see. It is a success that may seem like foolishness in the wider world. Yet it is precious in the Lord’s sight. May we work at being a people who remain close to Jesus, that we might bear the kind of fruit that is pleasing to Him!