Summary: To be successful as a Christian means to live a life aligned with God’s will, prioritizing obedience to His teachings, actively demonstrating love for others, and using your gifts and talents to serve God and further His kingdom rather than focusing on worldly measures of success like wealth or fame; essentially, it’s about faithfully following Jesus and living a life that reflects His values.
What does success mean to you? Most people measure success in financial terms. Thus, most people believe that the most successful people are the 2,781 billionaires in the world. But is that all there is to success? From a Biblical perspective, attaining wealth isn’t the ultimate goal, though it’s not bad. Some of the most remarkable people from the Old Testament had great wealth. But how should Christians measure success?
The way God measures success is different than the way culture defines success. Based on what Jesus said, success is measured by how well you love Him and love others. “The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:40). He told His followers, “your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:35). Romans 8:29 says, “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son…” That means if you walk like, talk like, work like, live like, and love like Jesus, that’s success in His eyes.
Jesus is teaching us that our love for God and our love for others are deeply interconnected. This means that every other commandment extends or expresses these two foundational principles. Our ability to love others well stems from our relationship with God. The deeper our love for Him, the more naturally we will love others, because we begin to see them as He does.
Loving others also authenticates the genuineness of our love for God. The Apostle John writes, “If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar…” (1 John 4:20). This verse underscores that our love for God cannot be separated from our love for others. If we truly love God, it will show itself in how we treat those around us.
To become like Jesus and to be successful as a Christian, you’ve got to become and stay connected. Connected to God and connected to others. If you want to grow deeper with God, get on mission with Jesus. Do more than go to Bible studies, read books, or listen to podcasts. Apply what you’re learning about God by loving people far from God. Your personal growth should always be for the sake of others and the cause of Christ.
To love God and love others is only possible when we understand that He loved us first. We don’t naturally love God the most. We don’t naturally love others like we do ourselves. We’re all wrapped up in ourselves, our lives, our agendas, and our priorities, yet God keeps loving us. His love never changes.
0Discussion Questions:
- What does it mean to love God?
- What does it mean to you to reflect God’s love to others? What are some practical ways for you to give others a taste of what the love of God is like?