As You Define It

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 16^th 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.

Stay Blessed!!!


Elena Asks.