The Oxford Dictionary defines successful as – #1 Accomplishing a desired aim or result. #2 having achieved fame, wealth, or social status.

However, I believe success, or being successful, can be identified in many different ways. If you took only the first dictionary definition of “successful” you would then have to lump many people into that category. People who may be different in almost every other way.

For example, you could say that a murderer is successful because they “succeeded” in killing someone, but at the same time, you could say that someone who rescues someone from death is successful because they also “succeeded” in their own individual goal. Right there you have a conflict. One person is “successful” because they destroyed a life and another because they saved one. Therefore, there is a level of success that is subject to personal interpretation.

If I were to list the top three people that come to my mind when I think of “successful”, I might say something like, Johannes Gutenberg, Martin Luther, and Abraham Lincon. These people are not necessarily the most successful, nor did they all do the same thing. But that’s the point, isn’t it? Someone else may say, Alexander The Great, George Washington, and Walt Disney. I wouldn’t disagree with that, they’re just not the first ones I thought of when thinking of successful people.

Also worth noting, people can succeed in the second definition of success while still failing the first definition. For example, Hitler wanted to be an artist when he was growing up but he failed the entrance exam to the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. To him, this meant that he was unsuccessful in his goal or aim. However, clearly, Hitler achieved fame, wealth, and social status.

We can’t know [success] without knowing a person’s aims. ~ Derek Sivers

Each person must define success for themselves. What is your personal goal? At what point can you look at your life and say you were successful?

Yet, that still doesn’t seem like enough, does it? Maybe you define success as never talking to anyone after you turn 30. Okay. You may succeed in your (weird) goal, but without any impact on other humans, your success means nothing. Because of this, I think there must be at least some amount of success that is determined by others. Not how they feel about you, but what amount of value you create for them.

All of this being said, I personally have my own beliefs on what “true success” is. This is the success I see in people in the Bible like Nehemiah, Joseph, Paul, and, of course, the ultimate example of success – Jesus Christ.

In these people I see the love of God pouring through them, and through this, them being solely committed to glorifying him. They are examples that no matter what happens on earth we can still be “successful” because we hold to something that will last forever — God! My theme verse constantly reminds me of this.

Col. 3:23 – Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for man!

With this definition, even the disabled blind beggar on the street can be successful because though they may suffer this whole life, they can have a much better life waiting for them.

1 John 2:17 – And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

How do you define success for yourself? What are you doing now that will put you closer to that point?

Define, then achieve.