Have you Defined What Success is?

Phil. 4:11
I’m not telling you this because I’m in need, for I have learned to be satisfied in any
circumstance”
John F Kennedy, the 35th American President once said “Success has many fathers , but failure
is an orphan”, a very powerful, yet true statement, we all want to be successful in whatever area
of human endeavour we find ourselves. Without a doubt, success is good and also refreshing,
my discovery however revealed that there is no generally acceptable definition of the word
“Success”. For example, writing and passing an examination can be tagged success, while on
the other hand someone who failed that same examination may go on in life to own the company
where the other fellow gets employment later in life. For a child of eight month to walk is a
success, the same cannot be said for a child who is Two years old. Success for one person may
be to take Israel out of Egypt, running away from the enemy, while for another it may be
confronting Goliath. While it was a success for Elijah to call fire down from Heaven to roast his
would be arresters, for Elisha, it was actually arresting his arresters, therefore, it would seem that
success is a subjective topic.
Paul said, for him, success is being joyful in whatever situation, whether in much or in lack.
Vernon Howard defined success when he said, “You have succeeded in life when all you really
want is only what you really need”. A simple yet very apt definition of the word, for I observed
that what drives many people is their want not need, therefore even when after achieving
success they still keep pushing for more. In simple Economics terms, true success is the point of
intersection of Need and Want on the diagram/grid.
True success is contentment, a man who is not contented with what he has, regardless that he
has the whole world, he will still be chasing things. It is why there are people the world called
successful yet they are found in underhand dealings, for MPs caught claiming spoof claims,
Presidents charged with stealing state resources, CEOs involved in fraudulent activities etc.
1Tim. 6:6 “Godliness with contentment is great gain”, having all of one’s necessities is having
enough, the lack of contentment is the root cause of many wicked devises and sinful activities.
Success is what you define for yourself and not what the world define for you, cease from
comparing yourself with others( 2Cor.10:12). When a person is not contented they trouble their
own very souls and that of their households (Jos. 7:1-26).
In defining success, be mindful, you do not owe anybody except the Lord an explanation. It is
impossible to please God when you have an erroneous definition of success