“I am not called to be successful but to be faithful.” ~ St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Oh, yeah? You sure about that Mother? We’re not supposed to be successful? That’s what the frail human side of us would most likely want to say. That side of our humanity is often consumed with success. We’ve often spent oodles of time and energy on succeeding at projects and doing it better than others.
When we get into that mindset, everything begins to go past us in a real whirl. I am reminded of that famous phrase, “The hurrier I go the behinder I get.” We can become so frantic that we actually begin to lose traction rather than gain. We find ourselves slipping farther and farther behind as we become overwhelmed.
Matthew 16:26 would put it another way for us: “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Success is not and should not be viewed as the be all and end all of our lives.
Rather, faithfulness is the goal. If we remain faithful to God in this life, we will be an example for others who might be looking to find the way. If we can provide that example, we truly shall be successful.
When we are face-to-face with God at our own particular judgment, He is not going to ask us, “How much money have you made? How many awards have you achieved? How many accolades have others heaped upon you?” No. He will ask, instead, “How have you been faithful and thus led others to me?”
FAITH ACTION: Set aside the distractions in life that keep you from focusing on faithfulness to God.