Success

What is success I wonder? Everyone seems to be asking about it following the end of COP26. Was it successful? Well…was it? I’m not sure I can answer that question. I’m not sure I’m qualified. I’m not sure I know enough about either climate change itself, or what the outcome of the conference actually was. There are some of course, who see COP26 as a resounding success. Maybe that’s because they got what they wanted. Or maybe because others didn’t get what they wanted. And there are others of course, who think COP26 was not a success because it didn’t go far enough. They didn’t get what they wanted while others perhaps, did. The “was it a success” question is beautifully illustrated by the last minute changes to the final statement that came out and how it has been reported: the Glasgow pact was “watered down” and changed from stating that the use of coal would be “phased out” to stating it would be “phased down”. Whether this was a success depends on your perspective. And by who measures it. We talk about “being a success” in whatever you do. But who decides? Who decides whether or not you have been a success at whatever you do? And on what basis do they decide? My best guess is we all want to be a success at whatever we do don’t we? None of us would set out to be a failure I don’t think! What is a successful life anyway? Who measures it? Why? How? Maybe my problem with thinking about success is that my natural disposition is to think I’m a failure more than I’m a success. I don’t like people measuring me for success because they are more likely to declare I’m not. To be honest I’ve got to the point in life where I don’t want to put myself in the place where someone can tell me I failed! I’ve done all the exams and tests I want to do thank you! Some of you might say that I’m missing out and that aiming at things and failing is part of how we learn and grow. I agree. There’s always a balance. We don’t like talking about success in churches. If we do, it seems to me it’s always about numbers which leads us to compare ourselves to each other. Who is more successful? Oh…well the church with the most people of course! Really? Maybe. Maybe not. I think the problem is that it’s hard to measure success about spiritual things isn’t it? How do we do that? Ministers talk about success in ministry. No, really they do. If you go to conferences they talk up “success stories”. They don’t call them that, but that’s what they are: dramatic conversions; lots of conversions; growing numbers…There’s nothing wrong with any of those things, but I’m wondering if it’s really a good way to measure success. You don’t hear so much about plodding on in the hum drum of how life and ministry really is most of the time - which may be the best form of success there is. Maybe. Is this blog a success? Not my place to say but I’m sure you have an opinion. Although if you measure it by the number of likes and compare it to the celebrities blogs, I am a resounding failure! Am I a success in your eyes? I’d like to be, but we might understand it differently. I’m wondering f the best it can be, is for me to follow God as best I know how, using all the gifts, talents and abilities he’s bestowed up me for as long as I have breath. And then one day I’ll hear the words: “Well done good and faithful servant. Enter the joy of your Lord.” That will be success. Success of the very best kind indeed.