Faithful, Not Successful

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

After the journey of writing my first book, Quiet Strength, God impressed upon me and Nathan that His measurement of success has little to do with sales numbers. We were blessed to have great numbers, but that’s not what made the book a success in God’s eyes. God’s scorecard is different from ours. He judges not by money, statistics, or fame, but by the state of our hearts and our desire to serve Him.

God calls us to be faithful, not “successful.” He calls us to follow the dreams He has put in our hearts. The outcome of those dreams may look successful in worldly terms, or they may not. They may look futile. We may not see any external results at all, or at least not for a few years. We may not see any lives that our dreams have changed—or notice how our own hearts have changed in the process. Our commitment and persistence, even if others admire us for those attitudes, may not seem to be paying off. But if we are faithful, God notices. And He calls that success.

Real success often happens behind the scenes, and only God can measure it accurately. The only thing that’s really important is that His purposes are accomplished. He wants hearts to change—including ours—and lives to be impacted, even when those results aren’t visible to anyone. His work is done deep inside. Our job is to be faithful; His job is to accomplish results.

Trust God to bear fruit in your life however He chooses to. Don’t sell yourself or your dreams short. Be persistent in accomplishing whatever He has placed in your heart. Your diligence, persistence, and commitment to His purposes are the keys that define success.

Uncommon Key > God’s purposes begin with His call to be faithful. Are you willing to answer that call today? Move forward with Him, and He will call you successful—no matter what the external results look like.

From the book