CHASING SUCCESS: WHAT ON EARTH ARE WE DOING?

“DON’T EVER LET ANYONE TELL YOU YOU CAN’T DO SOMETHING…NOT EVEN ME.” (The Pursuit of Happiness)

Success. Everyone wants it. But what is it? The brand new flat-screen? The looks of envy or admiration you receive when you arrive in your new Mercedes? Being able to introduce yourself and having your name accompanied by a mouthful of titles or letters?

These things feel great to have, don't they? Hmmm...all that status, position, prominence, comfort. I wonder if these things would feel half as great if there was no-one around to witness them. Would we gain as much satisfaction from them if we had no-one to impress but ourselves? How much of what society defines as success is really just doing enough so that we can rank admirably in a glorified pissing contest with the Jones'?

How about being true to who you know yourself to be, even if the path you choose leads to obscurity, ridicule, and a very modest living? What about taking the risks and the chances in pursuing your calling that place you in the position of potentially losing everything, and then trying to find the courage to start all over again if you do? What about living a life that allows you to be at peace with the reflection you see in the mirror and the One who created it?

I have no problem with possessions and achievements. What I have a problem with is the assumption that striving for and having these things so often leads to...that those without them must inevitably be less intelligent, less hard working, less responsible, less yadda yadda. What I have a problem with is a life spent in the acquisition of these things when the God-given desires, passions and talents of those who possess them (and are so often possessed by them) go completely unexplored and unfulfilled. The fear of man and the desperate need for approval and recognition will destroy the very essence of our souls if we indulge them long enough.

We have one earthly life to live. One. And despite our tendency to easily forget, it goes by VERY quickly, and it can end at ANY time. When death comes knocking, and we stand on the threshold of the world unseen, what is really going to matter? What will we look back on with joy and gladness? What will fill us with regret and remorse? Serious and sober self-evaluation is called for. The stakes could not be higher, and the concepts of genuine success in life and the accumulation of material trinkets are used inter-changeably at great risk.

Man sees the outward appearance. God looks at the heart. There is only One whose approval and opinion really matters. To what degree do our choices and pursuits reflect either an agreement with the truth of that statement, or the total disregard of it? May the good Lord Jesus have mercy on us all.

Thankfully, He does.
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Grant Alexander Cyster owns the blog entitled "I THINK, THEREFORE I ACHE.", offered as part of his Cape Town based freelance media business at: www.grantcyster.com