True Success

I have had a lot of time to think about what the word success means and the full implication of that term in my life. I used to think that success meant that a lot of great people knew my name and that I was well respected in my professional field. That people would seek me out for my knowledge and wisdom about Godly issues and want to glean from years of experience. I just don’t believe that anymore. I really believe that true success in life is measured by two things; what I did with what God gave me in my talents and abilities as a man of God and did I use those talents to improve the people around me? I really believe that the only legacy that we can truly leave behind when we die is the investment that we made in others. Money and things in the physical world can all fade away or be lost for whatever reason, but when you make an investment in another human being they are a carrier of the things that you gave them. Because I am a Christian, I believe that the only things I can give others that mean anything is what God has given me first and that I can’t give away anything that I have not first possessed myself. I know that through this time of testing that God is bringing to my memory people that I have touched through the years of my life. I just got a packet of information from a guy who used to be in my youth group and now lives in New York as a school teacher and has a healing ministry that he wants to see touch the greater New York City area. I am so proud of him and to say that God used me in his life is a little humbling to say the least. He calls himself my “protégé” and I am honored to have him not just as a former teen that came out of “my ministry” but as a friend. Tonight I was walking and praying and God was bringing names of people that I have touched with God’s help through the years. It was also good to get perspective from my wife as we were getting dinner ready tonight and she said, “No wonder the devil hates you so much. Look at the lives you’ve touched”. I guess the really scary part is that I will probably never know the people that are watching my life and the crap I am going through with my eye and who I am even touching with this blog site. One thing I can promise you in this life; if you want to really be successful in what you do and who you are then be ready for opposition but know that it’s worth it to make the devil more mad and Jesus more popular.