How to Succeed in Life
The Bible's counter-cultural direction for success
My first real taste of success in the adult world—or the possibility of success—came as a high school senior. I was at that point of life where I was trying to figure out where I wanted to go to college and what I wanted to do for a living. My high school transcript was good, and when my SAT scores came back fairly high, I had a lot of options. That’s when my dad along with a few teachers and friends encouraged me to consider becoming a doctor. “You can do this,” my dad said. I took him at his word, and the vision of success he gave me to get a degree in Chemistry then go on to Medical School and become a doctor was intoxicating. I could help a lot of people while building a lucrative and respectable career and find a place at the top of the professional world. That was the kind of success I wanted. So off I went to college and plunged into my course work. It went pretty well until my second year when I ran headlong into two things that made me re-calibrate my career goals and re-think my definition for success. The first was organic chemistry, which I passed only by the grace of a kind professor. The second was my love of English, which ended up becoming my major and led directly into my call to ministry.
I still remember calling my dad to tell him that I was changing my major and moving in a different vocational direction than what I originally intended. It scared me to death to break the news to him. But I underestimated him. He quickly dispelled any notions I had of ever disappointing him and fully supported me in my decision. He even agreed to pay for the rest of my college education—but only if I promised never to take organic chemistry again. That was the moment when I realized that success wasn’t one-size-fits-all but was tailored to each person’s unique gifts, opportunities and personality. I had to find it for myself.
The Bible doesn’t talk much about success; at least, not in the way our modern culture understands it. Instead of markers like financial advancement, professional achievement or public recognition, the Bible says we measure success in less visible but more profound ways, in experiences like faith, love and community. That’s why in today’s post I want to dig down into one of my favorite Psalms, Psalm 103, and see how it describes success and how each one of us can find it for himself. I think it may be an eye-opening experience for many of you and provide some encouragment if you’re struggling with success and maybe even wondering if you’ll ever find it.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, (Psalm 103:1-2)
Psalm 103 is one of the best known of all the Psalms with good reason. Full of landscapes of the Kingdom and packed with spiritual riches, to read it is to be transported into a realm where God is so real and present that anything is possible. The curious thing about the Psalm, though, is that it’s not really a prayer—as are so many Psalms—nor does it contain direct words from God as do a number of other Psalms. Instead, it’s an inner dialogue within David’s mind with God listening in. I take that to be an encouragment for all of us who talk to ourselves from time to time. Maybe we’re not crazy after all. More importantly, what David’s words reveal to us is the true meaning of success and how we can achieve it.
who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. (Psalm 103:3-5)
OK, so I’ve already let the cat out of the bag earlier that I’m an English nerd, but it’s impossible to read these three verses without pointing to their grammar of success. First, there are the five uses of the single pronoun, “Who.” The reference (finicky grammarians would say “antecedent”) of the five pronouns is to the Lord, mentioned in the first two verses. He’s the only one who can do what the five verbs that follow describe. The Lord is who forgives, who heals, who redeems, who crowns; and, best of all, who satisifies. It’s the last verb that resonates the most and lingers in your mind like a church bell ringing on a quiet morning. Satisfaction is what we all want and what success is all about. In fact, you could define success itself as being satisfied with life. But the great truth about success that our world forgets, ignores or twists is that it can never be achieved in its truest sense apart from God.
The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. (Psalm 103:6-7)
David now turns to biblical history. It’s an argument made throughout Scripture, that the same God who worked his will in the lives of people living long ago is still working his will in our own time. I read a while back of an interview with a theologian who was asked about his hermeneutic in interpreting the Bible. “Hermeneutic” is a fancy word used by Bible scholars to impress their students with how smart they are. It simply means what principles should guide us as we try to understand the Bible. Do we take it literally or figuratively? How important is it that we understand the history behind it? How about the way the Church down through the centuries has understood it? The theologian’s name was Dr. George Wood, and he was General Secretary of the Assemblies of God, a denomination with a long track record of taking the Bible seriously. I loved his reponse to the reporter. He simply said, “This is that.” “What do you mean?” the confused reporter responded. Dr. Wood smiled. “I simply believe that ‘this,’ what we’re experiencing today is ‘that,’ what happened in the pages of the Word of God.” In other words, Dr. Wood actually believed the Bible was true. That’s just what David is alluding to in verses 6-7. The same God works the same way in every age. And that means that success in every age is the same. It comes from placing your trust in God, who has his own glory and your own good always in mind.
The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compasssion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion for those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. (Psalm 103:8-14)
One of the greatest barriers to success is when we encounter failure. We fail at times because of circumstances, people, problems or unforeseen events. But we can usually find our way forward through those kinds of outer failure. It’s the deeper kinds of failure that really keep us from success, those deeds, habits and patterns of behavior that bubble up from our own sinful hearts. How often have our inner demons sabatoged our success? That’s where I find these verses so critical. Even in our personal failures and inner darkness, God is merciful and gracious. Indeed, he’s placed our transgressions as far away as the east is from the west. I don’t know just how far that is, but it must be as far away as possible. But there’s more. God also treats us as a father treats his own children. Best of all, God is under no illusion that we’re anything close to perfect: “He himself knows our frame; he is mindful that we are but dust.” (Psalm 103:14 NASB)
As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. (Psalm 103:15-19)
Many of us compare ourselves to the people around us in a constant search for success. “I may not be doing as well in my career as Rachel, but I’m doing better than Janey,” we may say. Or “My kids are struggling in school but at least they’re not failing like the neighbor’s kids.” We shore ourselves up—or try to—by reassuring ourselves that there are people lower on the pecking order that we are. But success doesn’t really come that way, does it? You can only play that game for so long before it becomes empty and self-serving. The truth that Psalm 103 affirms is that we’re all in the same situation. Life is fleeting and one day it will be over. That’s not a morbid thought but a reassurance that just as all of us have a common destination, we all have a common promise. Namely, that the same God who loves us makes provision for us, in life and in death. “His throne is in the heavens, and his kindgom rules over all.” I don’t have to play the success game when I define my life not by comparing myself with others but by trusting in the everlasting rule of God.
Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word! Bless the Lord, all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will! Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul! (Pslam 103:20-22)
The Psalm ends with four great trumpet calls to worship addressed to all of creation. The angels of heaven are called to praise God. All those who serve God are called to praise him. All God’s works—not just people but all aspects of the created order—join in the mighty chorus of praise. Finally, in response to the praise going on continuously throughout creation, David joins with his own voice. “Bless the Lord, O my soul!” he says, circling back around to where he began. I can’t help but to think that in this stirring conclusion of his Psalm, David’s many other achievements pale into insignificance. He was a shepherd, a warrior, a poet, a musician, a king, a father, a husband, a son, a brother; and by any measurement, he succeeded in almost everything. But his true success lay elsewhere, in the chorus of worship that brought him into the presence of God. He succeeded in what counted most.
I read once of a bright young man in North Carolina who was driven to success in a similar way as I described in my own life at the first of this post. His mother was determined that he become a medical doctor. So with her looking over his shoulder, he studied hard and did well in high school. When he began applying to medical schools, his mother guided him to one of the best schools in the country, Duke University School of Medicine. His grades were high enough that he was accepted. For the next four years she pushed him to stay on track. Finally, the big day arrived and he graduated. With his degree and background, his future success was assured. But then something strange happened. The day after his graduation, he took his degree in hand and dropped by his parents’ home on his way out of town. When his mother answered the door, he handed her his diploma and said, “Here’s your medical degree.” He then moved to Asheville, apprenticed himself to a local carpenter and took up wood-working. From what I understand, he became quite good at it. Some would even say he became a success.
Success is hard to define, challenging to measure and difficult to achieve. But as Psalm 103 reveals, success is really within the grasp of everyone who will place their trust in God. As you go through your day, why not take some time and revisit this portion of God’s Word? You may find a path to success you never considered before.