{"id":27265,"date":"2013-10-22T02:13:14","date_gmt":"2013-10-22T08:13:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.churchvolunteercentral.com\/?post_type=cvdaily&p=27265"},"modified":"2013-10-22T02:13:14","modified_gmt":"2013-10-22T08:13:14","slug":"how-god-defines-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wwv.group.com\/childrens-ministry\/blog\/lead\/how-god-defines-success\/","title":{"rendered":"How God Defines Success"},"content":{"rendered":"

How do you know whether you\u2019re being successful?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

That was the question I recently posed to a small group of pastors. The silence that followed indicated that perhaps they didn’t understand what I was asking, so I rephrased it:\u00a0 \u201cHow do you measure the success of your ministry?\u201d<\/p>\n

More silence. Either they were afraid to say what they thought, or they had no definitive answer.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re wired with a desire to succeed, whether it\u2019s a relationship, the classroom, the marketplace, the athletic field, or ministry. Because success is so important to us, we should have a way to measure it.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d like you to consider four questions. They\u2019re biblical questions intended for every believer—not just those in vocational ministry—because God wants us all to pursue success as He defines it.<\/p>\n

Question 1:\u00a0 Are You Being Faithful?<\/b><\/p>\n

I, like you, long to hear God say, \u201cWell done, good and faithful servant.\u201d Hearing those words would shout success. In the parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30), it\u2019s profound to note that the master commended faithfulness: What did you do with what I gave you? The second servant received the exact same commendations as the first servant, even though he produced less of a return. Jesus is making the point that being a faithful steward of what you\u2019ve been given is what matters most.\u00a0 Are you being faithful?<\/p>\n

Question 2:\u00a0 Are You Bearing Fruit?<\/b><\/p>\n

In John 15: 1-11, Jesus taught that it\u2019s God\u2019s will that we bear much fruit. As we do so, God is glorified, and we prove to be Christ\u2019s disciples.\u00a0 The New Testament speaks of two kinds of fruit:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The fruit of Christ-like character<\/i> (Gal. 5:22-23). The fruit of the Holy Spirit includes nine characteristics that should fittingly describe those who call themselves Christians.<\/li>\n
  2. The fruit of Christ-like influence<\/i> (Acts 10: 38). We\u2019re called to make a difference in the world in the name of Jesus.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Are you bearing fruit?<\/p>\n

    Question 3: Are You Fulfilled?<\/b><\/p>\n

    My dictionary defines fulfill as, among other things, \u201cto make full.\u201d\u00a0 Is your life—is your ministry—making you full\u2026of joy. \u00a0Looking again at the parable of the talents, the master told his faithful servants, \u201cEnter into the joy of your master\u201d <\/i>(Matt. 25:21, 23). Joy is one of the primary blessings of faithful and fruitful service.<\/p>\n

    This is exactly what Jesus indicated as He concluded His remarks in John 15 about fruit-bearing:\u00a0 \u201cThese things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full<\/i>\u201d (15:11). Jesus taught them to bear fruit so they would know His joy, and experience it in the fullest way. Are you fulfilled?<\/p>\n

    Question 4: Are You Making God Famous?<\/b><\/p>\n

    God wants us to be faithful, to bear fruit, and to experience fulfillment (His joy) in a way that makes Him famous. Peter teaches that the faithful exercise of our gifts is \u201cso that in all things God may be glorified\u201d <\/i>(1 Peter 4: 10-11). Jesus tells us, \u201cMy Father is glorified by this<\/i>, that you bear much fruit, and in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.\u201d (Matt. 5: 16). Are you making God famous?<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Imagine for a moment what your church or ministry would be like if every believer was successful in biblical teams\u2014faithful, fruitful, fulfilled, and engaged in making God famous. While such an objective may not be as quantifiable as other measures, it\u2019s worth pursuing\u2026because it\u2019s God\u2019s measurement of success.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Copyright \u00a9 2009 Cook Communications Ministries\/David C. Cook. <\/em>Experiencing LeaderShift<\/strong> by Don Cousins. Used with permission. Permission from the publisher required to reproduce. All rights reserved.<\/em><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    How do you know whether you\u2019re being successful? That was the question I recently posed to a small group of pastors. The silence that followed indicated that perhaps they didn’t understand what I was asking, so I rephrased it:\u00a0 \u201cHow do you measure the success of your ministry?\u201d More silence. Either they were afraid to say what they thought, or […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":102,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[117],"tags":[375,376,377,141],"class_list":["post-27265","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-lead","tag-bruce-bugbee","tag-don-cousins","tag-how-god-defines-success","tag-leadership"],"yoast_head":"\nHow God Defines Success - Group Children's Ministry<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How do you know whether you\u2019re being successful? 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