What is Success for a Believer?
How many times in the past have I said to myself: “What am I doing with my Life!? lol, I feel like I need to get a LIFE!” I had so many high expectations of how I thought my life should look like at a certain age, and when I couldn’t achieve those things I thought much of my life could seem unsuccessful and a total failure. It was a constant thought and wrestle that I had.
... At a certain point the Lord spoke to my heart and told me:
“Gaby! What is success to you? What is your definition of success?
Your definition is not the same as mine!
I want you to learn to love and obey me. At the end of it all I am your Success and your reward.”
What is Success Then?
Now I want to be clear, I’m not saying that having achievements in your life/ work/ family, etc isn’t good. We should have goals and aspirations, but when our life is driven only by these things then we have to check ourselves.
The world views the success of a person’s life by their accomplishments and performance. What happens then when you don’t measure to those standards? We might then find ourselves thinking that we are total failures or maybe others will say that of us.
That happened to me! and it still resurfaces from time to time. This mentality blinds our view of life and makes us put value and priority to things God may not even consider as valuable.
To measure our success the Lord does not consider our performance or achievements. Success for Him has a completely different definition; it has to do with Transformation.
“After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, “Fear not, Abram. I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward.” Gen 15:1
A Life of Transformation
Transformation is not easy, the daily work of completely discarding your old self and continually renewing in the spirit of your mind is hard! But this journey of becoming more like Jesus is what the Lord considers success in our lives.
Transformation begins with beholding.
What do you behold or contemplate? Because the thing you behold is what you become. In order to look more like Jesus we need to take our eyes off the things of this earth and put them on Him and where He is.
Sometimes we think that as christians we change by our own merits and determination, and that can be true to some degree, but it should be that as we intentionally behold the Lord, we become more like Him. Now this to many doesn’t look like much, because most of this is an inner work that many don’t see, but to the eyes of the God and in light of eternity it is a big deal.
If we choose this narrow road He will take us into the path of transforming our lives to become more like Him; this is the life of a true disciple
"That, regarding your previous way of life, you put off your old self [completely discard your former nature], which is being corrupted through deceitful desires, and be continually renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh, untarnished mental and spiritual attitude], and put on the new self [the regenerated and renewed nature], created in God’s image, [godlike] in the righteousness and holiness of the truth [living in a way that expresses to God your gratitude for your salvation]."
Ephesians 4:22-24
4 ways we are Transformed in Christ
1. The First Commandment- Loving Him as our priority in Life
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” Matthew 22: 37-38
2. When we Behold the Lord we are Transformed.
“And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 AMP
3. Seek eternal realities- When we are caught up where Jesus is, our lives are transformed.
“Therefore if you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, sharing in His resurrection from dead], keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above [the heavenly things], not on things that are on the earth [which have only temporal value]. For you died [to this world] and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:1-3
4. The pressures that we go through in our earthly life produce Glory in us.
” For our momentary, light distress [this passing trouble] is producing for us an eternal weight of glory [a fullness] beyond all measure [surpassing all comparison, a transcendent splendor and an endless blessedness]!” 2 Corinthians 4:17
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About me
Hi everyone! my name is Gabriella but you can call me Gaby.
Welcome to my blog!
I created this space with the purpose of sharing what the Lord has put in my heart in a way that is as real and genuine as possible. I want to invite you into my journey of following Jesus and I hope I can inspire you in your journey of following Him too.
