Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to do justice and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God?
Lately, I have been challenged with the question of, "What is true success?” Our society says success is having a good job and earning lots of money, getting good grades in school, being popular, having nice cars, and homes as well as other possessions. In the arena of the church, high attendance numbers, people walking the isle each Sunday, programs with lots of people busy keeping them going and a high profile in the community seems to be the measure of success. In the home-school community, we tend to measure success by how well we are meeting the standards set for us by the state, family and friends and how well we measure up to other home-school families.
What does God see as success? Success is doing justice, loving mercy and walking humbly with God. Galatians 5:22-26 tells us,
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. (NKJV)
Success in the church doesn't necessarily mean large attendance. A successful church is one that keeps God's word and does not deny His name. It is one that perseveres in the truth and does not compromise the truth. Success in home-schooling isn’t getting the entire curriculum done on schedule or measuring up to standards put on us by others. It is persevering in teaching our children truth, to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God.
Revelation 3:7-8,10 "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, 'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens": I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name... "Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”
The worldly idea of success is nothing like God's idea of success. God's economy is different. If we are being faithful to God, walking humbly with Him, allowing the fruit of the Spirit to develop in our lives, then we are successful in His sight.
2 comments:
I agree with you whole heartedly! That is the only thing I don't like about using the K12 curriculum that we are using. We are held quite accountable for our attendance and getting lessons completed. It's easy to forget what is truly important! I can't think of a day better spent than just sitting with your children playing games and being together, learning to be nice to each other and get along, take turns and so forth! Thanks for the reminder!
Amen. Pastor alwasy reminds us that we live in an upside down Kingdom and must see with our spiritual eyes what is truly important.
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