Day 46 “The Definition of Success”
Passage: Acts 6:7

“So the Word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.”

Devotion:
There is a saying that goes, “You can please some of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.” Previously in verse 5, the apostle’s “proposal pleased the whole group”, however the definition of success is not in whether the whole group is pleased or not (although it’s nice when that happens). Rather, the real definition of success is found by the result illustrated in verse 7: “So the Word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly….”

The bottom line is you can’t have as your sole criteria what is pleasing to the group. Ultimately success is best measured by healthy church growth (including new believers), and that requires teaching of the Word.

It’s funny how it works: where God’s Word goes church growth appears – rapidly. Too often we think programs, slick marketing campaigns, or building projects are what we need to grow. All that’s really necessary is to preach and teach God’s Word. We make it complicated and expensive, but it’s really quite simple.

The simplistic beauty of this approach is reflected at the end of verse 7, “…a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.” You see even priests who have been highly educated and placed great value in their rituals, can change – re-commit, reconnect, and re-direct – once they are exposed or re-exposed to the power of the gospel.

Question to Ponder:

Is your ministry area growing or stagnant? Why? No matter what you’re doing – whether it’s parking cars or serving food – the Word should always lead. If your ministry area isn’t growing ask yourself: Is God’s Word leading? If God’s Word was leading, what would be different?

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