Redefining Success

“For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.” Colossians 2:9-10 (NLT)

Most people have no idea what success really is. Some people think it means you make a lot of money. But you can make a ton of money and be an absolute failure. Some people think it means being famous. But you can be famous and totally miss the point of life. So what is real success?

The Bible says real success is being who God made me to be. It means I'm not trying to be somebody else or what my parents wanted me to be. I’ll only find real success when I spend my life as the person God created me to be.   

If I try to be somebody else in life, I am absolutely going to fail, because I can't be anybody but me. Be who God made me to be. Be who I am in Christ.

“For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority” (Colossians 2:9-10 NLT).

God came to earth in human form two thousand years ago so I could be made complete in Christ. That means I have everything I need through Jesus’ authority and power.                               

If I look around, I'm going to notice that I may not have the same gifts, talents, or opportunities as other people. That can be frustrating if I think success means being somebody else.

But when I understand that a successful life is being who God made me to be, then I will be amazed at the things God will do through me!

I lack nothing to be a success in life, because success is being me. In other words, being successful in life means I am being myself, the person God made me to be. Don’t get hung up on what other people think about me. Instead, focus on my audience of one: God.

God shaped me and equipped me and, in Christ, has given me everything I need to be successful. In fact, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness” (2 Peter 1:3 NIV).

In summary:

Colossians 2:9-10 establishes the theological foundation for human identity: because the totality of the divine nature dwells in Christ, those united to Him possess a derived completeness that requires no external supplementation. The accompanying notes argue that "success" is frequently misdefined by secular metrics of wealth or fame, which often lead to ontological failure. True success is redefined as the alignment of one’s life with their God-given design and the rejection of comparative living. By acknowledging Christ’s supreme authority and the sufficiency provided through Him, an individual is freed from the pressure of performance and empowered to operate within their unique, divinely-appointed purpose.

Bottom Line:

Real success is not the acquisition of external status, but the courageous realization of my specific identity in Christ.

Next Steps:

Identify one area where I am currently performing to meet the expectations of others or mimicking someone else's path. Consciously pivot that energy toward a task or habit that aligns strictly with my unique spiritual gifts and the "audience of one" principle.