Biblical Success

Recently, my church’s men’s group pondered what it means to be successful according to the Bible. At the same time, we debated whether it was possible to have both worldly success and biblical success. While no one debated what worldly success was, there was considerable discussion about biblical success. Using Matthew 19:16-30 as our text, we discussed the story of the rich young man as it related to biblical success. Recapping the story, a rich young man was disappointed that biblical success meant giving up his worldly success. Jesus went on to admonish the disciples, “Truly, I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again, I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:23-24, NRSV). Was Jesus advocating for a lack of possessions? We debated this issue, particularly the benefit riches can and have provided many Christians in their service to the church. 

I considered this issue in the days that followed our discussion. Clearly, there are many “rich” Christians who use their considerable wealth to benefit the church. It would be difficult to argue against riches that are being used to further God’s Kingdom. Referring to 1 John 2:15, “Do not love the world or the things in the world” (NKJV) and taking Jesus’ comments into consideration, riches are not the problem, as it were. It is the love of them that causes one to stray. Paul clarified this point in his letter to Timothy. “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). 

So, getting back to the original discussion question, is it possible to have both worldly success and biblical success? One could argue as long as one does not love money and uses his riches to God’s glory that it is in fact possible. However, that begs the question, what is the love of money? What was Paul really saying to Timothy? Is money in and of itself bad? Furthermore, what should our relationship with possessions be? Our culture is based on the love of money. Even the best of Christians is not immune to the subtle wiles of money embedded in our society. Those wiles have become more entangled in our lives with the proliferation of technology. A product of the 70s, I grew up in a time when shopping had to be done at the mall, shopping center, or local mom and pop store. Mail order was confined to catalog offerings from the likes of Sears and J.C. Penney. Fast forward a few decades, and our wants can be satisfied with two-day shipping thanks to Jeff Bezos and Amazon Prime! 

Now, I’m not condemning Christians who shop online or have Prime accounts. I’m guilty myself. However, as I considered the verses above in the larger context of biblical success as pitted against worldly success, I recalled Jesus’ words in John 12:25. “He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life” (NKJV). It may seem a bit extreme, but I believe it accurate to state that our relationship to this world must be as transients. This is not our home; heaven is. Certainly that rolls easily off the tongue. Yet, when one considers our relationship with the world in context with modern culture, living a life of utter simplicity with few possessions is not practical. But it is possible. Let me cite two examples. 

As I mentioned, I’m a product of the 70s. During my upbringing, I had Christian neighbors who were, in fact, the ones who led my parents to the Lord (I was too young to recall this). They owned a beauty parlor that was attached to their home, which was always in disarray. They didn’t shop at malls regularly, nor did they purchase new clothes. They never owned a new car. But if someone needed something, they were there. They’d stop by the house almost on a weekly basis and discuss the Bible and pray. (This was at a time when coffee was drunk during the day - made from a stovetop percolator). They hosted Bible studies and opened their home to anyone in need. By worldly standards, they were odd - “those people” - as they were known in the neighborhood. Their dedication to the advancement  of God’s Kingdom never vacillated. It was their sole focus and reason they lived. It seemed they lived at church. A time of door-to-door evangelism, they knocked on doors and passed out tracts. They did not love the world. In my opinion, although they lacked the hallmarks of worldly success, they were biblically successful. 

Biblical success, seemingly, is the opposite of worldly success. I would go so far as to say the two are diametrically opposed. Yet, they can coexist in certain circumstances - but only to an extent. I say only to an extent because as Jesus noted in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters” (NKJV). So, while worldly success may provide resources and opportunities to serve God, I believe that ultimately it’s in conflict with biblical success. What is biblical success? There are many ways that can defined. However, if we recall Jesus’ words to the disciples at the Great Commission, he commanded, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching to observe all things I have commanded you” (Matthew 28: 19-20, NKJV). Succinctly put, biblical success requires us to be disciples. Discipleship comes at a cost, as Jesus himself noted in Matthew 8. “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” (v20, NJKV). 

Additionally, discipleship demands that we deny ourselves and take up our cross daily (Luke 9:23). What does that mean? Well, as I’ve mentioned many times, I’m no theologian. Examining this passage in light of others, I believe Jesus indicated that discipleship is a full-time job so much so that doing it properly means we live completely for Him. That is, every facet of our lives must be enamored with being a disciple. It should consume us and occupy almost all of our time. Crazy, right? We have to work to earn money to afford to live, to have a house, food, and all the necessities to sustain a quality life. Or do we? Do we really need so many necessities? Do we need a big house, expensive cars, closets full of clothes, luxurious vacations, a retirement account, and the latest iPhone? Is that how Jesus would live if He lived among us today? While I can’t answer that question with certainty, I’m fairly confident He’d live a simple life. 

During COVID-19, I got hooked on You Tube. One video led to another, and I discovered a gentleman named Robin Greenfield, an activist who eliminated all of his debt, sold his car and most of his possessions, and learned to live off the land. All of his possessions fit into his backpack, which he later abandoned for just the clothes on his back. With no house, no car, no credit cards, and the ability to forage his food, he had little need of a job. He travels by foot across the country, stopping to make and post videos, often relying on the kindness of his followers to do so because he has foregone modern technological luxuries. Author of several books, he donates the proceeds to charity. At any give time, he has little to no money, preferring to live off the land. Certainly, his lifestyle is extreme. What I find intriguing about him, though, is how closely his life parallels that of Christ - from a minimalist perspective, that is. I don’t know Robin’s beliefs or religious affiliation, so I won’t speculate on that. That isn’t relevant to my point, which is that his life, to me, resembles Christ’s comments on discipleship. For those who believe living simply like Jesus isn’t possible in today’s modern world, Robin’s life is proof that it is. 

Returning to the original premise regarding biblical success versus worldly success, yes, the two can exist simultaneously to a limited extent. Worldly success has been a major contributor to the success of many missionaries, evangelists, and church-oriented charities. However, based on biblical concepts of success and discipleship, worldly success is not a requirement or prerequisite for biblical success. Biblical success can exist on its own, as it did with Jesus and the disciples. This is clearly demonstrated in Luke 9:3 when Jesus sent the Twelve. “Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece” (NKJV). Discipleship, arguably, began with Jesus and the Twelve, those who would carry on Jesus’ mission and proliferate the early church. Without question, they were biblically successful. There’s no mention of their worldly success or its necessity for discipleship. In fact, based on Jesus’ charge to them, they were indigent and impecunious, little more than what today we would label as homeless. Yet with no resources other than their unwavering faith and commitment, twelve ordinary men successfully continued the work of Jesus and were hugely biblically successful!