“Success” and Not Living a Wasted Life.

I can’t believe it’s been roughly 240 days since I last posted.   

Maybe I’ll do better. 

Maybe before today, I would have felt successful for posting.  I would have felt accomplished, breathing a proud sigh at the click of POST IT!  Way to go Ash, you did it!  You did something successful today. 

But in reality – in God’s eyes – there were only a handful of things, I may have done “successfully.”

A reoccurring theme came at me today – a culmination of what success is and what a “worthy” life-lived isn’t.

How do you define success?

Think about it for a minute.  I think success is ______________________________________. 

Success is typically defined by monetary means, social status, good jobs, and outward appearances. 

In order for me to feel successful, I typically need someone else to think I’m successful, and tell me so. Pats on the back, and words of appreciation are fuel to my fire. 

An elatingly satisfactory day for me would normally end with my list looking like Dylan took a pen to it.  To-dos crossed off left and right, with only a few, or no, items circled and left to be done.  Kids happy, fed, and tired.  And, if anyone or anything was clean by close of business?  Well, that would call for a celebration. 

The point brought to my attention (first, through a study by Coach Tony Dungy), was success is usually defined by what others think.  Not God.  And it’s easy to think that way, because we SEE others much more easily.  We hear, feel, notice, others much more often.  But if we held ourselves to God’s definition, or idea, of success – life would be so much more enjoyable.  Less worry, less anxiety, less stress, less greed, less wasted time.  More one-on-one.

Instead of trying to please so many others, or appear successful to all of our co-workers, bosses, friends, and family – you only have to be successful in one person’s eyes.  What a relief.  Really.

It’s tough though.  We’re all programmed to think completely opposite of this.  It’s innate. 

Worldnetweb defines success as an event that accomplishes its intended purpose; an attainment; a state of prosperity or fame, an achiever.

But, what is it that we are achieving?  Just something to think about.  

My second aha moment came from a simple, yet profound message, entitled “Don’t Waste Your Life.”

The story basis (Philippians 3:1-14) was about Paul who was basically saying, I have a really great life.  No one can top what I’ve had going on.  Yet all of it before I knew Christ is a waste.  It all equals zero.

Our youth minister listed “Treasures of a Wasted Life” as:

• Family Heritage,
• Social Status,
• Biblical Knowledge,
• Religious Activity,
• A moral/righteous lifestyle.

These are all good things, right? 

This isn’t your typical list of day-filling, life-consuming things that we usually look back on and think, that was a waste of time.

Yet, they can still keep you from a relationship with Christ.  They can still be put above your relationship with Him.

And thirdly today, as we took a scenic drive to Henderson to look at some RV’s, which turned out to be old FEMA trailers, one of my favorite songs blared words I’m always blessed to hear and be reminded of.  It just seemed to hit home the whole “success” and life worth living message that rang in my ears all day.  It’s Nelly Furtado’s Forca.  The chorus lyrics translate into “Come with a force, come with a force, come with a force that can’t be stopped, come with a force that will never die.

It is the passion flowing right on through your veins
And it's the feeling that you're oh so glad you came
It is the moment you remember you're alive
It is the air you breathe, the element, the fire
It is that flower that you took the time to smell
It is the power that you know you got as well
It is the fear inside that you can overcome
This is the orchestra, the rhythm and the drum
Com uma força, com uma força
Com uma força que ninguem pode parar
Com uma força, com uma força
Com uma fome que ninguem pode matar
It is the soundtrack of your ever-flowing life
It is the wind beneath your feet that makes you fly
It is the beautiful game that you choose to play
When you step out into the world to start your day
You show your face and take it in and scream and pray
You're gonna win it for yourself and us today
It is the gold, the green, the yellow and the grey
The red and sweat and tears, the love you go. Hey!
Com uma força, com uma força
Com uma força que ninguem pode parar
Com uma força, com uma força
Com uma fome que ninguem pode matar
força, força, força, força, força
Closer to the sky, closer, way up high, mais perto do ceu, mais perto do ceu
Com uma força, com uma força
Com uma força que ninguem pode parar
Com uma força, com uma força
Com uma fome que ninguem pode matar

come on