VALUES
GRADE 7
2022
TRUE MEANING OF SUCCESS
Success can mean many things to
different people. For some it is
marrying the “right” person, having
beautiful kids, acquiring wealth, or
being popular. For others it means
being recognized and appreciated for
one’s talents, whether they be in
music, arts, sports, or another field.
TRUE MEANING OF SUCCESS
Young women often pursue success in
relationships and the search for
security, while young men often look
for success through significance and
recognition or approval from others.
TRUE MEANING OF SUCCESS
If we’re honest with ourselves, we
may hold one of these common views
about success. Regardless of how we
define it, youth spend much of their
time, attention, energy, and effort
pursuing success. And we can become
very discouraged along the way or
even lose hope if we think we’ve
failed.
UNDERSTANDING TRUE SUCCESS
I believe that one of the biggest
challenges we face is our
misunderstanding of what success
really is. Success becomes an idol in
our lives that replaces our devotion to
God. Striving for success turns friends
into competitors and can make us
prone to corruption, cheating,
arrogance, or despair.
UNDERSTANDING TRUE SUCCESS
In the Bible, success is not about
achieving things. Rather, biblical
success is about faithfulness to God.
UNDERSTANDING TRUE SUCCESS
Consider Jesus. If we measure him by the world’s
standard of success, his life was pretty
unimpressive. Born from a humble background
and under shameful circumstances, Jesus never
had a formal education. He never married and
never had kids or acquired worldly wealth. While
he was recognized by many as a teacher, healer
and even Messiah, in the end most people were
disappointed that he didn’t establish a new
political kingdom and improve their economic
situation. Before Jesus’ death even his followers
and friends abandoned him and he died a painful
death as a criminal.
UNDERSTANDING TRUE SUCCESS
David’s instructions and Jesus’ life show us that
success may look very different in God’s eyes.
Jesus teaches us that success is about seeking
first God’s kingdom while allowing God to provide
for the rest (Matthew 6:33). The good news of the
gospel is that we are already accepted in God’s
eyes and that He loves and receives us as His
children through Christ. We do not need to
achieve God’s favour, He freely grants it.
UNDERSTANDING TRUE SUCCESS
Success then is walking with God and
experiencing the joy of his presence and favour in
your life. In each situation, you can confidently
give your best efforts and trust the results to
Him, knowing that “I can do all things through
him who gives me strength” (Phil. 4:13). Give
precedence to the relationships rather than the
result and God’s provision and blessing will follow
your faithful efforts.
UNDERSTANDING TRUE SUCCESS
So, may the year ahead be wildly successful
for you!
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him. They will be like a
tree planted by the water that sends out its roots
by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a
year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” –
Jeremiah 17:7-8
