How do you measure success?

As a published author and blogger, sometimes I can be discouraged by the numbers- either in sales or views or likes, etc. I started to question whether it was all worth my time and whether I am successful.

‘If you knew the book you were writing wouldn’t be a best seller but would only affect one life- would you still write it?’

‘What if the book you were writing would only affect people once you passed away- would you still write it?’

These are interesting thoughts I’ve pondered on which made me question and challenge my view of success. Now, you might not be a writer like me, but maybe you are a parent wondering whether the countless hours of discipline and mundane tasks are worth it, as you see no fruit in your child’s life? Or maybe you have your own business, but it isn’t picking up as quickly as you would like? Or possibly you serve in a ministry and it seems like you are not really making a change; you can’t see any fruit from all your labor? The list of scenarios is truly exhaustive, but in whatever circumstance we find ourselves in where we cannot see fruit and we don’t feel very successful, there is someone in the Bible who can relate.

Jeremiah was called at a young age to be a prophet for the Lord (Jeremiah 1:4-8). He was faithful to preaching the harsh judgements of the Lord to the Lord’s people. However, despite Jeremiah being faithful to share God’s heart for His people, the people’s hearts were hard. During Jeremiah’s ministry, he didn’t have one convert; not one person turned their heart to the Lord. This is why Jeremiah is commonly called the weeping prophet, as he often wept for the people—over their sin and their hardness/pride:

‘…But if you will not listen to it, my soul will sob in secret for such pride; and my eyes will bitterly weep And flow down with tears, because the flock of the Lord has been taken captive.’ – Jeremiah 13:17

However, looking at Jeremiah’s ministry, can we say that Jeremiah was not successful? He was faithful to the Lord, isn’t that the greatest success? In the parable of the talents, Jesus gives a scenario of workers who were given some talents/money by their master and those who were faithful with the money they were given the master said to them:

“Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.” – Matthew 25:23

I believe this parable represents us on the day Jesus returns and He will judge our works. What matters is if we have been faithful. Now maybe you are in a business which isn’t doing so well because you are not meant to be in it or it’s time for you to move on; for that its important you seek the Lord about it and ask for wisdom. But for those of us in ministry, serving the Lord in church, through parenting or other capacities: if we see no fruit, will we still carry on labouring to be obedient to the Lord?
I pray the Lord will give us such faith that we are able to praise the Lord despite the lack of fruit we see. For He is good and worthy of praise:

‘Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls—
YET I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.’- Habakkuk 3:17-18 (emphasis added)

My final thought is this: Keep your eyes on Jesus, not on the fruit. Our ultimate success is if we hear ‘Well done my good and faithful servant’ from the Lord. Not if we make millions, are popular, or have the perfect children.

Be encouraged.