Have you ever asked yourself what success is in the eyes of God? We often say a person is successful if they have wealth or power–and that is understandable. But God doesn’t define success the way we do, and His definition is different from ours.

Success in God’s eyes has to do with our character and with our faithfulness to what God wants us to do. Jesus wasn’t successful in a material sense, nor was He socially or politically powerful–not at all. And yet in God’s eyes He was absolutely successful, because “He was faithful to the one who appointed him” (Hebrews 3:2). God sent Him into the world to save us from our sins by His death on the cross, and He was successful because He did exactly what God sent Him to do.

You see, a person may be very successful in the eyes of the world and yet be a failure in God’s eyes. This is why material success isn’t necessarily a sign of God’s blessing. Yes, sometimes it is; God does call some people to positions of wealth or influence. But often it is only a sign of a person’s selfish determination or even greed.

What is your goal in life? Is it to achieve success in the eyes of others–or is it to please God? Some day this life will be over, which is why Jesus said, “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20). Begin this today by putting Christ first in your life.