“We must learn to measure ourselves, not by our knowledge about God, not by our gifts and responsibilities in the church, but by how we pray and what goes on in our hearts.  Many of us, I suspect, have no idea how impoverished we are at this level.” – J.I. Packer

For as long as humans have been on this planet they have measured their value by what they can do or by what they are worth.  Even in the church we think that big means important.  We tend to believe that the place that has the most programs, the most people and the most money has the most value.  Success-Minded People will think that the people who have the most knowledge, the most degrees, the better and bigger business have the greater value.  So what do we do but try to know more, do more and have more.

 LET’S BE CLEAR

Allow me to start off by making two clarifying statements.  First, we all have value just because we are human.  We are made in the image of God and His love for us is without condition.  Second, you know that I believe that knowledge and achievement are important.  I have no problem with success and wealth.  I am in no way saying these things are bad or unimportant.  What I am saying is that we need to get our focus right when it comes to how we measure value.

 CHARACTER COUNTS

In life and in the fulfillment of our purpose it does not matter what you do as much as who you are.  Please remember that God always looks at the heart.  Achievement can be done by anyone, we know this.  But character is developed on the inside.  People of good character have succeeded and failed in many things, but no matter what happens in life their character stand firm.  That is the true measure of a Success-Minded Person.  Corrie ten Boom said “The measure of life, after all, is not its duration but its donation.”

 OF MONEY

Never measure your value by what you have, especially if it is money.  Money is the most fluid thing there is.  We can have it today and loose it tomorrow.  Money is a reward for our work, not the value of it.  As Bible teacher Woodrow Kroll said: “He is a poor man who can only measure his worth in dollars.”  Building wealth is good and can allow you to achieve and contribute much, but it should never be the goal or drive in life.

 YOUR BEST

God has given you a task or purpose you are to fulfill.  He has also given you all you need to achieve that task.  It is your responsibility however to do it.  When you know what your dream is and what you are meant to do, you must settle for nothing less than full success.  Coach John Wooden said “Don’t measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.”  The power to do this comes from the character that is within you.

 REMEMBER

A simple but key principle to remember:  Do not measure yourself by what gifts others have but by what gift you have.  Do not measure yourself by the wealth or possessions you have but by the heart you have for others.  Do not measure yourself by the size of your successes but by the obedience you have show to God in whatever He has asked you to do.  No one can fulfill your purpose, so that makes you extremely valuable.

 © 2011 John Patrick Hickey