But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9)
In the previous week’s meditation we saw that success in the ministry to which God calls you, whether it is the pastorate, intercession or practical service in the church, does not come from your academic preparation but from your obedience to God.
Now, this raises another question, what does it mean to be successful in your service?
Because, if we look at the society around us, success means achieving your goals, surpassing the achievements of others, and obtaining a position of prestige and well-being.
And, moreover, success in the world is reserved for only a few.
To give you a couple of examples, in some of the most popular and prestigious marathons in the world, more than 10,000 athletes may run, but only one takes the gold medal.
Thousands of candidates apply for public employment offers, but only a handful get the jobs. Only a few take the prize.
The others, who also fought for victory, are left with the bitter taste of failure.
If success in the spiritual life were measured by the same standards, only the pastor of each church would have achieved success. And only one of them would have reached the presidency of his local or national denomination. And, of these, only one would go on to achieve the world presidency.
The rest would be mere secondary actors, if not simple anonymous extras in the film of their own existence.
Sad fate for someone for whom Christ gave his life.
For this is not what God has in mind for his children.
If Christ left Heaven to descend to this Earth and suffer scorn, persecution and death, it was not to give us a life of mediocrity. He did it to give us a full and victorious life, and in which he has reserved for us the role of co-protagonist at his side.
Because for God, each one of us is not just a number in the Book of Life. Each one of us is a child of His whom He loves with all the love of which God is capable. And for whom God has a perfect plan.
That is why, in Peter’s first epistle, in chapter 2 and verse 9 we read:
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
We are a chosen people, because it is God who has called us. It has not been our effort, but God’s grace. Grace that confers upon us the role of children who love and adore Him.
We are also a royal priesthood. People who consecrate their lives to God and who live to worship Him and to manifest eternal truth. And thus, guide others towards life with God.
And we are a holy nation. A people, redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, who have decided to live in the ways of God. It announces a better and sublime way of living on this earth. And a people who show the world the greatness and holiness of God.
In this context, success is not measured by the size of achievements or the number of miracles. It is measured by faithfulness to your calling.
Therefore, true spiritual success is to arrive at the end of your career full of His joy, knowing that God was by your side all the time, that He was able to do through you all that He had planned, and that your faith in Christ has overcome the world.
There is no greater success than that.
May God bless you.
