“Success” is a term used a lot in modern hustle culture. The problem is that most people intuitively use the word in a way that is contrary to how they may verbally define it. To solve this problem, success must be defined clearly and used appropriately.
Material success must be distinguished from success as a whole. It is merely a subset of success as a whole, and it is a superficial subset at that. Despite its superficial nature, most people define success in terms of material possessions. They work diligently to attain riches and/or earthly prestige rather than long-term fulfillment. As the philosopher Epictetus put it: “Wealth consists, not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.” The commentator Angela Ruth adds: “We often find ourselves feeling the need to have great possessions, but if we have fewer wants, we are able to focus more deeply on achieving those wants. Because what is having great possessions when you are unable to achieve your goals? True wealth comes not from possessions, but from achieving our goals.”1 While this certainly pins down the superficial nature of the pursuit of wealth, it hardly constitutes a definition of success. All that to say, wealth is not synonymous with success. They are distinct from each other. Moreover, it is dangerous to define success in terms of material possessions. This will only cause greed, one of the principal vices.
Success seems to coincide with fulfillment. Some may dispute what is fulfilling. This seems to indicate the subjectivity of success. However, that is not the case. Human beings attain fulfillment by doing what they were created to do, and there is no subjectivity over what humans were created to do. The call was plain and clear in the Garden of Eden; it was clear after the flood; it was clear for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; it was clear following the Exodus from Egypt; clear during the dominion of Canaan; clear during the era of judges; clear during the reign of David; clear during the rebuilding of Jerusalem; clear during the life of Jesus; and clear following the Great Commission. Humanity finds ultimate satisfaction and fulfillment in serving and honoring the Triune God of the Bible. Jehovah’s call during all of those events was clear and simple: Serve Me. This service is not confined to the ministry of pastors, missionaries, and evangelists. Whether they are construction workers, attorneys, roofers, doctors, plumbers, or pastors, all Christians receive this ultimate fulfillment when they exercise the dominion mandate to glorify God through governing the earth.
I define success as achieving purpose through service to our Creator. This is not a new definition. This definition has existed since 1646, when the Westminister theologians wrote their confession of faith. But even more, this definition of success is found throughout the pages of the Bible. It has existed since the beginning of the time when Adam was promised eternal life on the condition of perfect obedience.
Modern and post-modern humanism usurped this definition of success and tainted it into something perverted and abhorrent: greed. Greed is not something to be glorified. Riches are noble when they are attained through ethical means, but attaining riches for their own sake is a recipe for an unfulfilling life. Despite what these humanists may argue, success in the broad sense has nothing to do with material possessions. Once again, this has not even been the historic view. From Adam to all the history in the Bible, to the Protestant Reformers, all of history points towards success that is found through service. That is true success. That is historic success.
- Epictetus, Having Few Wants, ed. Angela Ruth, (Due: June 13, 2022), web. https://due.com/epictetus-quote-having-few-wants/#:~:text=Epictetus%2C%20a%20stoic%20philosopher%20said,deeply%20on%20achieving%20those%20wants.
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Asher Sisneros 