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Mark 1: 37 – 38

Today’s devotion came from “Right from the Heart Ministries”. And is titled: How God Defines Success. Today’s Scripture reading is Mark 1: 37 and 38.

“And when they found Him, they exclaimed: ‘Everyone is looking for you!’ Jesus replied, ‘Let us go somewhere else- to the nearby villages – so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.’” 

Today I’m starting out with another question:

How do you define success? According to the dictionary, success is ‘meeting, or achieving a desired outcome.’ In other words, success is measured by our achievements, accomplishment, or talents. Which (for some) can lead to money, fame, or power.

But, what about God? How does HE define success?

God defines success as fulfilling His will and purpose in our lives. So, based on this definition, Jesus was the most successful person to ever live, for He was the only one to have perfectly fulfilled God’s will.

Which leads us to consider a second question: How exactly did Jesus live?

    Well, Jesus put His Father first.

    And, Jesus never lost sight of His mission.

Jesus’ entire purpose was to bring humanity – us – back to God. He wanted as many people as possible to experience God’s grace and forgiveness. But His disciples didn’t always get it.

In Mark, we read that when Jesus went to spend time with God, putting God first, the disciples begin to worry. When Jesus returned, [and I’m paraphrasing here] Peter had a few concerns: “Everyone is looking for You,” he said. Now what Peter really meant was, “Jesus, where have you been? There are 200 people outside looking to be healed! We have the largest church in the region and the momentum is really taking off! Let’s stay focused and get to work.”

But Jesus, who had put God first and having spent time with the Father, remained focused on His mission – instead of catering to the growing crowd, He told Peter that it was time to move on and go somewhere else. Yes, miracles are important, the ministry is important, helping is important – but nobody’s heart is changed by miracles alone. Jesus remained focused on His calling by staying connected to God, even contrary to His disciples’ good intentions.

Our lives are full of distractions: family, friends, work, obligations, social media. Not all distractions are bad, but if we aren’t careful, we can lose sight of God’s purpose for our lives.

Life Happens… So how do you define success? Is the success you’re seeking only temporary, or is it an eternal success that lasts?

It is my prayer that each of us BE SUCCESSFUL – God’s way!

 This devotion was based on a devotion from: Right from the Heart Ministries