I have been thinking a great deal recently about the word success after someone commented that I could retire content after a successful career (or careers). Really? What does that mean? While retirement usually marks the end of paid employment, the work we undertake to provide for our material needs is, of course, only one facet of our lives. So I asked myself the two-part question: what is a successful career but, more fundamentally, what is a successful life … and should we think of ‘success’ as a relevant or useful measure of human living?
This double-barrel question became more urgent after I started reflecting on the today’s reading from St Luke’s Gospel which features two uncomfortable statements from Jesus. The first in verse 17: ‘truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it’ and then in verse 25: ‘it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God’. These are extraordinary statements because they challenge if not chastise the things most celebrated in our society: knowledge and wealth. Those who acquire the first are esteemed; those who have accumulated the latter are envied. In the Gospel story, a man who had, by worldly standards of his day, achieved success is completely undermined by Jesus and walks away deeply unsettled.
So let me begin with the word success. What does success mean to you? It possibly means achievement of a goal, arriving at a destination, defeating your competitors or perhaps exceeding someone’s expectations. So if I asked whether you have lived a ‘successful’ life, what or how would you answer? It is not a question we often ask ourselves or meditate upon … although it is a constant feature of popular culture and everyday conversation: this person was a successful farmer; that person was a successful teacher … in reality, the actual markers of success are rarely articulated or assessed. In contemporary Australia, when we say someone has done well – meaning they have been ‘successful’ – we usually mean they have an abundance of the things of this earth. Money is the most ubiquitous currency of success.
Success magazine, yes, there is such an appalling publication, is completely devoted to financial and business success. But surely it is more than that? Perhaps it’s the question that’s the problem. We don’t usually ask: “what does success mean to the community’ but ‘what does success mean to the individual’? But does success matter at all? Albert Einstein, who was known for wisdom beyond the academic discipline of physics, remarked: ‘try not to become a person of success but rather try to become a person of value’. There is possibly a firm foundation here on which we might build a Christian understanding of how success might be measured.
There are, of course, some false views to dismiss first. We may consider one Christian more successful than the other if she or he seems to be better at keeping the commandments of God. Oh I know we would never admit to that, but we do it – subconsciously if nothing else.
I’m guilty of measuring myself up to other Christians. How did I perform today? At least I don’t sin as much or as seriously as my neighbour? These are things that go through my head, and hopefully I take hold of these thoughts, nail them to the cross, and find better things to muse on, but often I don’t. Often, I don’t realize I’m measuring my success in this way until I’ve been doing it for a while and then realise how judgemental and harmful it is to me.
When I think of success, especially in evaluating ministry, I try to keep one thing in mind: there is nothing we can do—no deed we can perform—that will make God love me any more or less than God does right now … at this very moment. I cannot contribute to either my loveliness or my salvation since it has nothing to do with me and everything to do with Christ who died for me and pleads for mercy on my behalf. That being said, we can measure our selves by asking a few questions:
In sum, am I becoming more Christ-like – which is the goal of the disciple and follower … not unlike the aim of the apprentice to emulate the master?
As Einstein intimated, it’s better to measure our progress in becoming a person of deep and abiding values than our acquisition of power, privilege and possessions. Values and character are important to human living and both are more important than success. In fact, even unbelievers will tell you that character is a requirement for success. True success and ultimate happiness can only stem from good character. That being said, what about organisational positions and financial success? Is it wrong to strive for them? It can be, but only if they are acquired or exercised in a particular way.
In sum, Christianity isn’t about living ‘your best life now’, either fulfilling your professional potential or building up material possessions, to “show people what God did for you. God wants to bless us and this type of blessing sometimes comes with having a full and fruitful life. I’ve invested in my retirement. I have more superannuation than the national average. I like to buy things and maintained a comfortable home. This is not, in and of itself, wrong or misguided. The key point here is to not make this outcome the primary focus of life. I’ve read too many articles about how diligent and focused on your number one goal you must be in order to achieve success. I’m sure if I developed a product from an idea and focused on nothing else for five or ten years, I could make more money than I have in being a wage & salary earner. Many people could and do as the nation’s rich list grows longer. But the book of Proverbs, the collection of Solomon’s wisdom, counsels: ‘Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established’.
Very often, of course, it is not our physical needs that remain unmet. The wealth extracted from the world exceeds the needs of its inhabitants, if shared and distributed more equitably. Jesus addresses this point in St Matthew’s gospel. Because divine provision is generous, he teaches, “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you’. The values and the character that mark progress towards Christlikeness are apparently more elusive. And in terms of personal resources, the question is more about what you should keep rather than what you should give away – and that requires a different outlook on other people and, indeed, life itself. If we have enough money to feed and clothe our family, we should be giving. It’s arguable that we should be giving … even if we don’t very much. If we have free time, for instance, we should be spending at least some of that time doing the work of Jesus. This is what makes Christians different and what makes success a very different notion for the follower of Jesus.
An example might help: happiness is often idolised as the ultimate goal of human living. Yet, as Christians, we should strive for joy over happiness. Joy in the fact that we are forgiven, loved and achieving victory over greed and self-interest as a consequence of Christ being active in our lives. The same is true of marriage. It isn’t supposed to make you happy, it’s supposed to make you holy. This misunderstanding is why divorce is so common. As soon as someone is unhappy in their marriage, they think something must be wrong. But the truth is, that’s normal, and God never promised we would be happy every minute of every day – nor are we. But we can be joyful … and hopeful … when we take the broader view of our lives and reflect at a deeper level on the world.
Ultimately, the Christian outlook is not preoccupied with measures of success – however nuanced and finessed they may be. The emphasis is on conviction and consistency – what you value and how it shapes your decisions and influences your outlook. In being a disciple of Christ the stress is on faithfulness and fidelity – you tried to follow and strove to do so … and when you stumble and fell – you didn’t stay down, give up or walk away – your resolved to stay the course and last the distance because Jesus pledged to be at the end of the journey to meet and greet you.
Our Bible reading today from Luke 18 offers an important teaching and depicts an awful tragedy. It implores us to seek – actively seek – the wisdom of God through the things we do and say. The wisdom (which is the reward) comes as a by-product of doing selfless things – so, Jesus is promoting a learning-by-doing approach to godliness. But the man who is the focus of the story lacks courage and imagination, he is timid and risk-averse, and is tied too tightly to earthly markers of progress and is too captivated by the illusory promise of material comfort and physical security. He won’t take the plunge into a deeper life; his love for God has a fixed boundary. This story also features in Mark’s gospel and, notably, it has an additional observation. When the man walks away unwilling to divest himself of his power, prestige and possessions, the writer notes: ‘and Jesus loved him’. He did not criticise or chastise him; he did not dismiss or damn him. He did not even chase after him. Simply, he loved him. When we fail, when we refuse what is offered to us, when we reach for cheap solutions rather than accept spiritual comfort, God does not give up on us … there is divine attentiveness to the next opportunity to turn our vulnerabilities into revelations … and so, to draw us nearer to the Christ we say we want to follow … and resemble. Ironically, we more often encounter God in our failures than in our successes – and praise be for that. Surely, that’s good news.