What Does Success Mean to You?

Thursday was Budget Day here in Aotearoa! Did many of you catch the announcement? Did you find yourself thinking, “What does this mean for me, my family, and my future?” As with most budgets, there were gains and cuts, promises and priorities. But at the heart of it was a vision, a desire to grow our nation into one where people can live successful, flourishing lives.

But that raises an important question: What defines success for you?

Having grown up in Samoa until the age of eleven and then moving to New Zealand, conversations about success was and is a high priority in our culture particularly what makes a person successful.

“Which school should I send my child to?”, “What makes that school a successful one?” “Will he be able to get a good job.  Is this business successful?”
“What makes an organisation or a church successful?”
and the talk will continue…….

Success means different things to different people.

• For some, it’s about wealth and financial security.
• For others, it’s having a loving family, well-raised children, or a healthy, long life.

The Bible also talks about success, but from a deeper, eternal perspective.

• Proverbs 22:2 reminds us that God is the one who makes both the rich and poor.
• 1 Corinthians 4:7 tells us that every gift or talent we have, everything that enables us to succeed…comes from God.
• In John 19:11, Jesus tells Pilate that any power he has was given from above.

God measures success differently than the world does.
Jesus said, “It is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest” (Luke 9:48).
And in perhaps the clearest picture of God’s idea of success, we read in John 3:16:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

In God’s eyes, success is knowing Him, receiving His love, walking in His ways, and helping others do the same.

As we digest what the national budget means for our homes and communities, I encourage you to also reflect on your spiritual life. Are you growing in God’s version of success?