We always measure success by results. Having favourable outcomes in our pursuits is like a shot in the arm. However, God does not always see results as non-negotiable signs of success. Imagine that after Moses struck the rock contrary to instruction, he still got water from the rock. We know that He did not please the Lord on that occasion. Regardless of the results we might post, if they are not obtained from hearing and obeying God’s voice, they count as nothing.

“Having favourable outcomes in our pursuits is like a shot in the arm.”

In God’s eyes, there is something that even ranks higher than results. Never mind that the results are obtained legitimately. Jesus commissioned seventy disciples in Luke 10 to preach the gospel. They were not only to preach the gospel but to heal the sick. They came back later and seemed to have outperformed their own expectations as we see in verse 17 – “Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” Obviously, the disciples were excited about the results that they obtained. Curiously, Jesus immediately stepped in to re-orientate their minds. Their joy should not come from the results they obtained, but from the fact that their names were written in the Lamb’s Book of life. The hallmark of success is being reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. Incidentally, this type of success is not what we work for; we receive it from the finished works of Christ.