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Do You Believe This?

Read the following quote from an unknown author:

"God doesn't call us to be successful. He calls us to be faithful."

What are your thoughts on it... is that true? If yes, how? If no, why?

This You Do

Yes, I do tend to believe this statement. By worldly standards, some of the most spiritual people in the world have been very unsuccessful. Think of Elijah, Jesus, John, Peter, John the Beloved, Isaiah, etc.

Do You Believe This? Beliefs Religious General

Yes, I do believe this statement to be true in the sense of what the world perceive to be a 'succesful person', if its a measure of how rich you are or how much prestige you have then I do not think that God expects us to be that way, he wants to see us happy and fullfilled. Jesus Christ was the example of it, for some people he was not succesful because he was not rich, he was even born on a manger!, but how succesful he was in the sense of spirituality and doing miracles every day and helping the needy and afflicted.

This You Do

Well, yes and no. Yes because He definately wants us to be faithful, and that's practically known to everyone. But no because He doesn't necessarily want us to be unsuccessful. Basically, it's better to take those two concepts as a hierarchy. This means that faithful takes precedence over successfulness. In other words, if you were to throw away faith after being successful, that would go against that.

Although... there is a different way to view this. One could argue that if you are faithful first and foremost, then success will follow. You may not be rich, but you'll live within your means.

Edit: I guess this actually makes my real answer yes. I just realized the word "call" was used in that quote. While He wants us to be happy, He doesn't really tell us to be successful. If we are successful already, he would ask that we use that success to help others.

Edited: Talduras on 25th Sep, 2004 - 1:19am

This You Do

This quote is only applicable to our current worldly definition of success. Real success is to have a functional family. Real success is to be content, yet to continually reach upward. Real success is to 'find yourself,' not through some new-age ritual or vacation from responsibility, but through revelation of personal identity and potential. God foreordained us to be successful. Faithfulness is key to achieving that success. He has not predestined any to fail.

Do You Believe This?

Reiterating what has been said before, it really depends on what a person's definition of 'success' is. If your definition of success is wealth and/or fame, you might be able to achieve and remain faithful to God as much as a person humanly can. I think it is important for us to remember that nobody is continually faithful to God. Our sin makes us adulterers to God, but that was why Jesus died for us.

If we are being faithful to God and have our priorities straightened, then He will give us the real desire of our heart.

"Delight yourself in the LORD and do good; And He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

If we're being faithful to God and on the right track, then our heart's desires, which in my opinion would be successes, will be what God wants. When a person allows God to change their hearts, most of the time, they're desires change. Every time God has met a desire of my heart, I have felt like I was achieving success. It may not be in the timing or places that we want, but He will meet those desires.

Do You This

I disagree with the statement. To be successful as a christian is to live the life that God has directed people to live. We reap the benefits of our labors.

Wealth is not success - it is the outcome of certain successes.

Success is being strong in what you believe in.
Success is doing the right thing, all the time, in the benefit of all - not self alone.
Success is raising kids to understand the rights and wrongs of the world.
Success is providing for those you are responsible for - this starts with your kids, but I believe we are all responsible for each other.

Faithful means believing that even if you fall from being perfect - that is everyone - that you have faith that through God's grace you will be forgiven.