A Christian view of success can be completely different from the popular world view of success we see everywhere today. The popular view of success builds on the foundation of the accumulation of wealth and fame while God's view is one founded on a deep relationship with Jesus Christ.
A lot of people today read Jeremiah 29:11 where God declares, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope," and think of the plans more often than the God who gives the plans. How easy it is nowadays to be drawn to the concept of financial prosperity and material wealth even if it absent of the authenticity of a relationship with God.
Jesus told the crowds that we cannot serve both God and money for a very good reason. Money is so powerful that it determines the future of many people. The decisions many people make are really based on money. People choose jobs, locations, friends and passions because of money. And while there is nothing wrong with valuing money, there is a danger in valuing it too much.
Money is a good servant but a very bad master. It can help us serve a purpose. In fact, we need money and material wealth to fulfil God's purpose. Without money, the gospel cannot be spread, careers and ventures cannot be funded and our needs cannot be met. But what money cannot do is determine our purpose for us.
The world would like us to believe that our professions, proximity and relationships should be chosen to maximise wealth. While money is important, it is not important as God's voice and God's purpose for our lives.
When we pursue God's purpose, God brings His provision because His blessing always follows those who obey and trust in Him. But when we choose to chase the popular world-view of purpose, not only will we be consumed with the wrong values, we will be consumed by a world that chooses to steal blessing from us, not give blessing to us. God wants to give purpose, satisfaction and significance, while the world only wants to take.
Our purpose is not determined by wealth or love of it. It is solely determined by the God who created us. Exodus 9:13 tells us, "But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth."
