Success vs. Significance

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” —Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)

Success is measured by what we do, but significance is measured by who we are. The difference between the two is a challenge since we have grown up in a culture that rewards more for what we do than for who we are.

The world measures success based on what you accomplish—how much money you make, how big your house is, what kind of car you drive, your position at the company at which you work…the list goes on and on. It doesn’t stop there, either. We bestow these same values on our children in the sports they play, their recreational pursuits, even their musical and academic pursuits.

We live in an accomplishment-based society. Doing great things is rewarded with prizes (higher salary, etc.), but being a great person often takes a back seat.

Isn’t this backwards? God apparently thinks so. God doesn’t measure us by what we do for Him. He measures us by what we are for Him. He measures us by our character.

What we do is important, but not as important as what we are. What we are is more difficult to measure by those on the outside looking in, because it is a measurement of our heart.