Recently I’ve been challenged with thinking about my definition of
success. I came to this realization because I have been encountering how so
many of my choices are based on things I learnt or experienced in childhood and
in turn in my upbringing. Especially, having a Ghanaian mom, I realized that
there are a lot of things that we, in the Ghanaian (and probably African
community) believe and embrace that are solely based on the culture itself. It’s
crazy to think about how many things we do and believe just because as Tupac would put it “that’s just the way it is.” We fail
to challenge what we grew up learning or what we subconsciously carried from
our communities.
These inherited patterns can be something as simple as using a spoon or
fork to eat rice or something as complicated as why you can’t seem to keep a
relationship without cheating on your partner. A relevant example is the idea
that if you attend university in North America, when you graduate you will find
a good job in your field. The problem I’m facing with these and other
assumptions is that they don’t correctly align with the word of God. When we
talk about success, my definition is much more different than how God defines
it.
A popular verse that we quote is Jeremiah 29:11 which tells us of Gods
plans to prosper us. “For I know
the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans
to give you hope and a future.” When we read that, we’re thinking, Yes! God has a plan
for my dream house, more money, me to get married at 25. But in reality, the
prosperity and hope that God wants for us is peace and joy and love. Which we
only truly experience and embrace after facing trials of many kinds for that is
when we find pure joy. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many
kinds, because you know that the testing of your
faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its
work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James
1:2-4.) Perseverance makes us whole and not lacking.
Jeremiah 29 provides some great clarity on success when we read it in
the Message version. The plans God has for His people in this context was
written as a letter to the exiles, the priests and the prophets who were in
Babylon. So in a time when all hope seemed lost. When thinking about their
future seemed pointless, God sent a word to His people. He told them to get
comfortable in Babylon. To marry, settle down, to invest in the country, to sow
in that place that seemed like their doom.
Verses 10-14 says, “This is God’s
Word on the subject: “As soon as Babylon’s seventy years are up and not a day
before, I’ll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back
home. I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of
you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen. When you come looking
for me, you’ll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and
want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed. God’s Decree. I’ll turn things around for you. I’ll
bring you back from all the countries into which I drove you—God’s Decree—bring you home to the place from which I sent
you off into exile. You can count on it."
We know that the people of God in the
Old Testament were not patient people. They were looking for the promise land
and expecting it in their own timing. But as God would have it, when they were
exiled to Babylon, He gave them SEVENTY years to remain in that place until He
would take them out. And after those years, He would return them back home.
A lot of times, we don’t consider Gods
timing in our outlook of success. At 21 you graduate college, at 25 you get
married, before 30 you have kids. So, when those things don’t happen for us we
don’t feel successful. Instead we strive and strive to be in a place that God did
not even call us to. There’s nowhere in the bible that says you’re supposed to
get a car on your 16th birthday. But for some reason I held on to
that dream for 7 years because I got my first car at 23 LOL.
I don’t think I still have the answer
but the important question to ask is what is your success rooted in? Is it the
word of God or is it what your mama or daddy did? Is it based on what everyone
else is doing? The word of God tells us, many are the plans in a person's heart, but
it is the LORD's purpose that prevails (Proverbs 19:21). We can plan plan plan AND desire desire desire, but if it’s
not Gods purpose, do you REALLY want it? I hope your answer is NO. We are
called to be in this world but not of it. That means we won’t abide by the
worlds standards or what they expect us to do but we will choose to listen to
what God’s word is on the subject and follow that instead. In fact, with this
approach there is more peace. Because you are backed by the Word of God and God’s
word has timelessly proved itself to be true.
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with
all your heart and
lean not on your own understanding.
Elena Asks.
