Does Success Matter?Shembull

To Become the Best We Can Be

In the last reading, we explored how God has given us everything we need to succeed. Now, let's talk about how we’re to use what God has given us. 

As we continue through the Parable of the Talents, we see that activity was required of the servants who had the talents (Matthew 25:16-18). The servant who had five talents invested it and made five more talents. The servant who had two talents made two more talents. But the servant with one talent buried the money, and made nothing more.

When the master returns, he gets mad at the servant that did nothing with what he was given. But the servant hid the money because he wanted to stay safe and comfortable.

Here, we see a clear picture that God gives us what we need to succeed, but it is expected that we use what He has given us for growth. What gets in the way of this growth is pursuing our own interests.

The servants who pursued the interest of their master were celebrated. But the servant who pursued his own interest in staying safe and comfortable didn’t pursue the growth his master wanted. 

God celebrates when we pursue what is best for His Kingdom, because it is in doing so that we become the best we can be. But God didn’t design us to neglect this growth to stay comfortable.

An example of this is in 1 Kings 3:3-14. Here, Solomon asks God for wisdom so he could govern his people. God celebrates this because Solomon didn’t ask for the things that could’ve guaranteed his safety and comfort (more money, fame, and power). And so, God gives him more than he asks for.

God has given us everything we need to succeed, but it is expected that we use this to go out and risk so we can become the best versions of ourselves. 

God did not give us everything we need to succeed for us to not pursue the interests of the Kingdom. He wants us to grow, and letting go of our desire for safety and comfort will help us along this path. 

Today, acknowledge that God wants you to grow and confess the times in which you’ve neglected this call. Then as you go about your day, lean into the many ways God is calling you to risk and step out. Only then will we find the joys of godly success.