What does success in 2019 look like for you? I’ve been thinking about the word, and how I wouldn’t define it as an author.

• Is it making the best-seller list?
• Is it becoming an in-demand speaker?
• Is it increasing the traffic on my website, the number of likes on my author page, or my amount of Twitter/Instagram/Pinterest followers?

Before I wrestled with this word, I would have defaulted to defining it in those measurable ways. But success as a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ has to be more than popularity and numbers.

The better question to ask is how does God define success?

Pastor Crawford Loritts referenced this verse in a conference session I was privileged to attend. He broke it into three applicable parts, which I have applied to my career to create a New Year’s Resolution of sorts.

I will consider 2019 successful if:

1. God’s Word marks my writing ministry. My ministry is not a platform to share my words or ideas; it is first and foremost about sharing the truth of God. I cannot yank verses from their context to support my point of view. If I am going to quote Scripture, I better do the work of understanding the meaning of the passage, what it meant for the original audience, and how the cross of Jesus affects the application of it today. That involves work, but it is the work that matters.
2. I know Truth. If I am going to share the Word of God, I must know it. To understand the Word, I must be in it. I must love it and live it faithfully. It is not enough to listen to gifted preachers exposit the Word, although that is a good thing. I must also learn to handle it responsibly and with integrity for myself.
3. I obey the Word. It’s not enough to know the Word. Faith without works is dead. I must obey what I learn and put it into practice.

If I do these things, I am – by God’s definition – successful. The freeing reality of this definition is that my success does not hinge on an Amazon rank, bestseller list, or social media followers. I am to represent God and His Word accurately and let the sales fall where they may. I will seek the Lord and leave the path of my career to Him.

What does success look like for you in 2019?