Finish your full course!

Success is being able to say, like the Apostle Paul,
7 I have fought an excellent fight. I have finished my full course and I’ve kept my heart full of faith. 8 There’s a crown of righteousness waiting in heaven for me, and I know that my Lord will reward me…
2 Timothy 4:7-8 The Passion Translation (TPT)

Most of us wouldn’t see someone in prison as successful. Paul was in prison a lot and yet he is one of the most successful people in Church history. He was an infamous persecutor of the church who became a famous pillar and builder of the church, but he wasn’t known for having lots of money. He suffered, a lot. God didn’t cause the suffering, it was simply a natural repercussion of preaching the Gospel! From God’s standpoint, Paul was successful because God sees success differently from the way the world sees it.
 
In God’s view, success is being able to say: I have finished my full course. It’s not only being able to say that I did a good job but that I did my job well.  You need to realize that God has a specific course for you and success is discovering that course and fulfilling it, completely. It’s not about the size of what you do (business, ministry, some form of community service) but that it was what you were supposed to do. Even if you build a great big empire if it isn’t what you should have done you won’t get the well done, good and faithful servant. It’s not about how much money you made but what you did with it. Even if you’re a super steward in being able to account for every cent you have, you don’t get a well done, good and faithful servant unless you do the right thing with the money.

We aren’t all called to do something big, or worldwide, or in the millions, but we are all called to live a life of significance.

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:2 New King James Version (NKJV)

God evaluates things differently than the world does, and so walking in success and living a satisfied life starts with starting to see things like God sees them and starting to value what He values. You’re either renewing your mind – changing your way of thinking and being transformed – or you’re conforming to the world and fitting into its mould. We need to stop imitating the world and start imitating our Father.

The more time you spend in the world, the more the things of God will look foolish to you and your heart will grow cold to them. The more time you spend in the Word with God, the more the things of the world will look foolish to you, and your heart will grow cold to them. The more we change our minds and choose to think like God thinks, the more we will transform and the more we transform the better (and easier) we will know God’s will.