The Real Reason I Want to Succeed

I could say that the reason I work out regularly is because I really just want to be the healthiest I can personally be. I could say that the reason I want to remodel my kitchen is because it will later add value to our house if we decide to sell. I could say the reason I want a nice car is purely for safety and reliability reasons. I could say the reason I want to become more successful at my job is just because I want to be a good steward of what God has given me. There may be some truth in each of these statements, but I’m pretty sure I would be lying if I said it was all true.

Ecclesiastes 4:4

Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind.

I am not necessarily motivated to greatness because I am such a good person. It usually stems from my need to compete with those around me, and my fear that I won’t be good enough if I don’t. I don’t work out to be healthy! I see other women who are fit and cute, and I want to be able to feel good about myself when I’m around them. I don’t want a nice house just so I can be a blessing to others; I want to show it off to my guests so that they will think my family is so stylish and well off. I don’t want a nice car just for safety; I don’t want to be embarrassed in the pick-up line at my kids’ school! I don’t want to stay where I’m at in my work, I want to grow bigger so others will be so impressed with all that I am accomplishing (because we all know the bigger the numbers, the more important you are).

There’s just one problem with all these envious motivations. The Bible warns me time and time again about how they can cause me to end up in a place I never intended to be.

James 3:14-16

But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.

All of my painful laboring to keep up with others’ beauty, others’ wealth, others’ success, is only going to lead to me to disorder and evil in my life. I can’t lie to myself and say that I want success in all these areas just because I’m trying to be my best. The truth is I am measuring myself against those around me and I so desperately don’t want to come up short. The Bible tells me that this kind of jealously in my life is unspiritual and even demonic. Demonic? I definitely don’t want that in my life!

The Bible shows us that the remedy to this selfish lifestyle is conforming our desires to God’s.

James 3:17-18

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.

And the harvest of righteousness (of conformity to God’s will in thought and deed) is [the fruit of the seed] sown in peace by those who work for and make peace [in themselves and in others, that peace which means concord, agreement, and harmony between individuals, with undisturbedness, in a peaceful mind free from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts].

I have to work to make peace in myself and others. I have to be at peace with others without trying to measure each of our own greatness or lack thereof. I have to be at peace with myself – with my looks, with my stuff, with my level of “success”. When I know that I am daily conforming to God’s will for my life, I will be less concerned with comparing myself to what others are doing with their life.

Father God, I know it is human nature for us to compete with each other. Please help me to not give in to what my flesh naturally wants to do. I want to be the kind of woman who can admire someone’s beautiful qualities without measuring myself against them. Please help me to see the people around me just like You see them. Please help my focus to be how I can bless those around me instead of how I can compete with them. Please help me to keep my mind off of my own inadequacies so that I can hear You instructing me on how I can best serve those You lead me to. I want my motivation to always be my love for You, not my efforts to be better than other people.

My Daily Confession: I am not jealous or envious of others. I do not rival others in my heart. I live in Wisdom. I am pure, peace-loving, courteous, considerate, and gentle. I am willing to yield to reason. I am full of compassion and good fruits. I am whole-hearted and straight forward, impartial, and free from doubts and insincerity. I work for and make peace in myself and others. I have a peaceful mind free from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts.

#success #comparing