I was in my mid-twenties…doing very well in life…so I thought.

Had a great job, well on my way to starting and owning my own business, already having 2 houses, nice car, plenty of money, growing network of friends and contacts…had it made…”successful”…at least by someone’s definition.

Then, one day, out of the blue, an older wiser man surprised me with a few comments he made.

He said….

Son, I see that at a young age, you are a great success already. Well done. But…before you devote the rest of your life to chasing more and more success, define it. And the true definition is found in the Bible.

That was it. That was all he said.

I thought “What???!!! The Bible? Success in the Bible? God talking about success? Are you kidding me? Not interested!”

His statements stunned me and I thought ridiculous…and religious…and I just wasn’t interested in anything religious. But as the days rolled on, I couldn’t leave them. His statements haunted me. I wondered if I was a success in God’s eyes. I wondered if He really did have anything to say on this. I had to pursue his comments.

You see, I had gone to church all my life (because that was the thing to do…not necessarily because I wanted to) and heard much about God, Jesus and the Bible, but I can’t recall ever hearing any teaching on what God said about success. That was an anamoly to me. The two just didn’t go together in my world.

So, I started digging….asking questions….seeking….studying…

And ran up on Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 1:1-3 in the Bible.

I’ll let you dig out these verses and reflect on them and figure out what they say to you. But suffice it to say, God does have something to say about success. He does “define success” and “how to achieve it.”  And His picture of success is much different than what “the world” says is success….and different than how I had defined it.

Over the next several months, my definition of success changed to match more closely how God defined success. I started meditating on His Word…and tried my best to “do” what I was learning. And like magic (another way of saying “supernatural”), my life changed…in a big way…I found life!!! A life I never knew existed until I experienced it.

My thoughts changed. What I valued and loved changed. The way I thought about and treated people changed. What I thought about and did with my money changed. How I spent my time changed. How I viewed myself changed. A lot changed. I changed. Heart change. Lasting change. True change.

As I look back, I can see that those were days of “finding life”…eternal life…abundant life…the God life…His Life by Design for me. I’m grateful for that “old man” who spoke into my life. I wonder where I’d be today had he not challenged me to “define success” God’s way.

How about you? How do you “define success”? Does it match your “Creator’s” definition. His is the one that ultimately matters…and will matter to you when it’s said and done…

I challenge you, if you are not living life based on His guidelines (The Bible) and definitions, don’t let another day go by without pursuing this. Find a way. Seek. Learn. Answer your questions with His answers. Define things the way He does. And I’m sure, like I did, you will discover a life you never thought possible. His Life by Design for you.

Cheers…as you seek to find the Life He has designed only for you.