A few months ago someone to asked me if I would write my definition of success. I began to reflect on when it came down to my last day on this earth what would make me feel like I had, as Paul said, “fought the fight and kept the faith,” that I had succeeded in life. We were on vacation and I was setting at a coffee shop in a part of the country where fame and wealth were the marks of success. It was here that I began to write about what success was to me. In the simplest of terms it is to make Heaven my home, to see my family and generations that will follow do the same, and to reach as many people as possible with the gospel of Jesus Christ that Simon Peter preached.
How that occurs and how I get there I must admit, I am still a little bit unsure about; I know it involves passionate prayer, a desperation to know God, being daily filled and led by the Spirit, a willingness to obey and submit to His direction and faith that does not waver when life does not make sense.
As I continued writing and reflecting the music playing in the background of the café caught my ear. It had a consistent beat, a calm melody, but no words. What caught my attention though was the flute; while everything else flowed together, the flute seemed to just meander at its own discretion, unconcerned about the rest of the instruments, the melody or the beat. In that moment, the flute reminded me of the Spirit of God, that though there are consistencies, the Spirit moves where it wants. It was then it was if God spoke to me and said, “Jon, your life must have that same flow as the music you are hearing; have a steady confidence in Me, rely on my Word, and have a desire to have a close relationship with Me every day, but all the while, be willing to be flexible with where I want to lead and direct your life.”
I ended my writing that day with this definition of success for me: His Spirit, His will, His way, His time in my life every day.