A Short Theology of Success

Chad Lee
58 minutes ago
5 min read

"For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly."

-Psalm 84:11 (ESV throughout)

There is a lot of confusion over what Scripture says about success.

Christians may be confused about how to think about success, given the variety of opinions on it. Here are just a few examples.

Many Views on Success

Some say that the pursuit of success is idolized and should be rejected.

However, others say to pursue success; they say it is always God's will for you to be wealthy, healthy, and successful.

Still others redefine success as faithfulness (whether it appears successful in this world or not).

Some say that God enjoys blessing us, as a good Father does, but they stress that this does not mean that God will always give us wealth, health, and worldly success. Moreover, as a good Father, God may still lead us into seasons that are difficult, because he knows that these seasons will ultimately be good for us according to his wise plan.

Many in our culture define success as achievement, winning, gaining wealth, possessions, fame, and power. Sports teams are considered successful if they win. Businesses are considered successful if they produce a profit. Salespeople are considered successful if they produce more sales than others. In American culture, individuals are generally considered successful if they are skilled, wealthy, good-looking, and well-known.

A Worldly View of Success?

Sometimes we reproduce this worldly definition of success in our personal lives and in our churches. Some churches simply define success as growth. In other words, the church must grow to be considered successful. But this is a much more nuanced issue. Not all good things grow (e.g., cancer), and not all things that don't grow are bad (e.g., consider the prophets, leaders, and churches in Scripture which were persecuted despite their faithfulness). However, we do want to see the gospel run forth and take root, see people saved, and see the kingdom of God grow. (For more on this, see my article titled, "Should Churches Grow Numerically?")

We also see this phenomenon in church leadership. Pastors are sometimes considered successful if they grow a church, produce a best-selling book, speak at large conferences, and become a Christian celebrity. Sadly, just like the world’s definition of a successful person, pastors can be widely recognized as successful if they are skilled, wealthy, good-looking, and well-known. (Obviously, this is typically more of a cultural blindspot than an explicit and articulated value.)

On the other hand, other churches prefer to define success in terms of faithfulness, whether results are visible or not. These churches typically adhere to biblical and theological depth. They tend to reject the worldly definition of success. However, sometimes they don't examine if certain tertiary methods with which they are approaching ministry are pushing people away. Moreover, they may struggle with practical issues arising from declining church attendance. (For a more thorough treatment of the specific question concerning success or faithfulness, please read my article titled, "Should We Pursue Success or Faithfulness?")

In financial matters, some lean towards the so-called "prosperity gospel". They would claim that God's blessing and favor lead to financial success for his people. (For more on this, please read my article titled, "The So-Called 'Prosperity Gospel.'") At the other end of the spectrum, some lean toward a type of "poverty gospel". They seem to suggest that God wants his people to keep very little money or possessions. Additionally, they often stress that God may lead his people through numerous hardships in this life. (Of course, eternally God will provide unimaginable abundance.)

Can you see the confusion?

For this article, I thought it would be helpful to simply show and summarize various Scriptures that address the topic of success.

Remarkably, as you read the list, you can see a balanced view of success. What I find particularly fascinating is that these Scriptures show that God does bless with success and finances sometimes, but he seems to be most concerned about faithfulness, obedience, and the success of his sovereign plan (which will ultimately bring him glory and us maximal joy). Clearly, if God isn't blessing us with success (as the world defines it), he is still blessings us eternally. God always knows what is right for us. He always does what is right for us. As I put this list together, I was reminded of this: We need to have a theology of blessing and suffering (and not obsess on either while excluding the other). We will have to wrestle with the fact that many prominent people and churches in Scripture and church history may not be viewed as successful today, but God clearly views them that way eternally.

So, here is the list.

A short theology of success:

God's blessing causes success (Gen. 27:20; 39:2-6; Deut. 2:7; 30:9; 1 Sam. 18:14; 2 Chr. 26:5; Neh. 1:11; 2:20; Psa. 20:4; 84:11; Prov. 10:22).
Many pray for success in Scripture (Gen. 24:12; 2 Chr. 26:5; Neh. 1:11; Psa. 20:4; 90:17; 118:25).
Keeping the faith until the end of one's life is success (2 Tim. 4:7).
Many advisers lead to successful plans (Prov. 15:22).
Those who are righteous and delight in God's law experience prosperity in all that they do (Psa. 1:1-6).
Every word and prophecy in Scripture will be successful and come true (Matt. 5:18).
God's plan, and therefore the kingdom of God, will be successful (Rev. 22).
Earthly success doesn't automatically lead to eternal success. Indeed, some will seem to gain the whole world but lose their own souls (Matt. 16:26).
Wisdom helps one succeed (Eccl. 10:10).
We must trust that God will be successful in providing for our needs (Matt. 6:25-33; Phil. 4:19).
Success is living by God's strength during the good times and the hard times (Phil. 4:13).
When righteous people live with integrity it gives a blessing that is passed on to future generations (Prov. 20:7).
God gives the power to get wealth (Deut. 8:18).
Honoring one's parents leads to God's blessing (Deut. 5:16).
Success means delighting in God and committing our lives to him:
- Delight in the LORD, and he will provide the desires of your heart (Psa. 37:4).
- Commit your life to God, and trust him to act (Psa. 37:5).
- Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established (Prov. 16:3).
Humility leads to God's blessing (Prov. 22:4; Jas. 4:10).
Generosity leads to God's blessing (Luke 6:38).
Those who are highly skilled at their work will be recognized as successful (Prov. 22:29).
Hard, diligent work brings success (Prov. 10:4; 12:24; 14:23).
Obedience and seeking God's kingdom first leads to success (Josh. 1:5-9; 1 Chr. 22:13; Prov. 3:1-4; Matt. 6:33).
Those who handle God's word rightly are approved by him (2 Tim. 2:15).
Some consider God's daily sustenance as success. One famous prayer in Scripture asked for neither poverty nor riches, but the writer wanted just enough for each day (Prov. 30:8).
Consider and imitate the lives of leaders who turn out well (Heb. 13:7).
If you consider the seven churches mentioned in Revelation:
- Ephesus
  - Successes: hard work, patient endurance, rejecting evil, persevering
  - Faults: forsook first love
- Smyrna
  - Successes: endure suffering and poverty
  - Faults: none
- Pergamum
  - Successes: loyalty to Christ, refuse to deny him
  - Faults: tolerates cults, heresies, idolatry, and immorality
- Thyatira
  - Successes: works, love, faith, service, patient endurance, constant improvement
  - Faults: tolerates cults, idolatry, and immorality
- Sardis
  - Successes: kept the faith
  - Faults: church is dead
- Philadelphia
  - Successes: kept his word, has not denied his name
  - Faults: None
- Laodicea
  - Successes: None
  - Faults: lukewarm, relies on riches, doesn't realize the wretched condition it is in.[1]

End Notes:

[1] Rose Book of Bible Charts, Maps, & Time Lines (Torrance, CA: Rose Publishing, 2005), 108.