A Successful Life vs. A Satisfied Life

Let’s be honest, we all want to feel successful in life. We want to achieve the goals we’ve set. To feel a sense of pride in the work that we do or the things that we create. To gain recognition from others for what we’ve done. 

            It’s a normal part of being human and living in community with others. 

            But do we take it too far? 

            Has our quest for success become warped? Are we truly looking for success, or something else? Some deeper feeling? 

            Before we go any further in this exploration of a successful life, I want you to pause and take a moment and ask yourself “How do I define success?” 

            What does that look like for you?

            Is it a certain number in your bank account? An instagram feed filled with beautiful and once in a lifetime experiences? Is it a particular job or level of status in your career? Some kind of home and family life? 

            After you have your definition, I want you to really think about where this definition came from. And more importantly, do you think you’d truly be satisfied if you were to attain it…or would there just be a sense that you need to keep working even harder to reach the next level, whatever that is? 

            When I think about the idea of success, I’m mindful of Paul’s discussion of confidence in his accomplishments versus the life he’s found in Christ.  

            The language he uses in Philippians 3:1-14 is startling. Here is this man who has such an impressive pedigree. He’s a trained scholar, an expert in Jewish law, a Roman citizen, and one of the most influential leaders in the early church. He’s got so much going for him.

            And yet, he counts it all as meaningless. He calls it garbage. 

            Because those things aren’t what satisfy and fulfill him. Knowing Christ does. 

            It isn’t that we can’t set and achieve goals. Paul was clearly a super driven person. Instead, Paul is trying to call our attention to the mindset we hold as we go about chasing after our goals and moving through life. 

            We should recognize the things we’re working towards can be good. They can bring us joy, and maybe some smaller sense of satisfaction. 

            But they aren’t an ultimate good. They will not bring us the same level of inner peace and fulfillment that stands the test of time in the way that God can. 

            This is why he counts it all as meaningless in comparison. 

            In a world where there’s so much pressure to be something. To achieve great things. To have millions of followers. To leave a legacy. Living with the same mindset as Paul eases the pressure. 

            Because you’re not chasing success. You’re chasing satisfaction. At the end of each day, to be able to say ‘I sought God in my actions today’ becomes enough.

            In an earlier passage in Philippians, Paul urges the believers to do nothing out of selfish ambition, but to live a life of humility (Philippians 2:3). 

            Tapeinophrosune is the Greek word that is translated as humility. It’s a humility comes from self-examination. Are we living in the way that God has asked of us, or are we chasing things to please our egos? 

            The self-examination is based on two simple instructions given by Jesus, but just because the question is short doesn’t mean the answer and the work is easy. 

            When Jesus is asked in Matthew what is the greatest commandment, he responds with this: 

            “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All of the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matt. 22:37-40)

            So, are you finding ways each day to love God and love others?  

            That’s it. That’s how you strive to live a life of satisfaction. 

            When the world and the voices of your inner critic are screaming at you that you aren’t doing enough…that you’re not successful enough…that you aren’t where you should be in life... 

            Remember that you are enough. If you are seeking to love God and others, you are doing enough. You are exactly where you are meant to be. 

            Let that be your standard and nothing else.

            So yes, chase after your dreams. Set lofty goals. Go for the things that seem big and scary. But always keep in mind that no matter how any of that turns out, those won’t be the things that make Jesus look at you and say, “Well done my good and faithful servant.” 

            But loving God by devoting time to your spiritual practices, and loving others by caring for them in every situation you find yourself in, those things will. 

            So with those things to ponder, I’ll leave you with a prayer I love to speak out loud when I begin to lose sight of the satisfaction that comes from living in Christ. 

Beloved source of security: I wish for total freedom from all forms of destructive fear. In its place, lead me into the freedom of surrender. You hold me while I grow, and in this confidence I release anxieties about my life—its survival and success—and trust you with my unfolding story. Amen.

Peter Traben Haas, Centering Prayers: A One-Year Daily Companion for Going Deeper into the Love of God