On True Success
This is a rough draft which, when I have time, I will work into a research article.
The Highest Tier of Success: Spiritually Rich, Holy, and Perseverant
Believers who are poor or in lowly circumstances should glory that God has made them spiritually rich exalting them to a high position. God has honored them. The most successful man alive is spiritually rich, set apart, and perseverant.
9 ·Believers [Brothers or sisters] who are ·poor [in lowly/humble circumstances] should ·take pride [boast] ·that God has made them spiritually rich [in being raised up; in their exaltation; in their high position]. 10 [L But] Those who are ·rich [wealthy] should ·take pride [boast] ·that God has shown them that they are spiritually poor [in their humiliation; in their lowly state; Jer. 9:23–24]. [L Because] The rich will ·die [pass away; wither] like a ·wild flower in the grass [or flower in the field]. 11 [L For] The sun rises with ·burning [scorching] heat and ·dries up [withers] the ·plants [or grass]. The flower falls off, and its beauty is ·gone [destroyed]. In the same way the rich will ·die [L wither away] ·while they are still taking care of business [in the midst of their pursuits; L in his journeys; Ps. 49:16–17; 103:15–16; Is. 40:6–8] (The Expanded Bible, 2011, Jas. 1:9-11 EXB).
A good example of people who have attained this level of profound success is the ascetic John the Baptist, who, among those born of women, none is greater (Matt. 11:11; Lk. 7:28). The Apostle Paul is another good example:
I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not [Greek from false brothers]. I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm (New Living Translation, 2015, 2Cor. 11:26-27).
The Crown of Life belongs to the faithful and enduring.
But the one who endures to the end will be saved (ESV Study Bible, 2008, Matt. 24:13).
Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life (ESV Study Bible, 2008, Rev. 2:10).
The Second Highest Tier of Success: Moral Excellence, Education, and Offspring (Within the Confines of Marriage)
True Success is not advertised; it speaks for itself in the form of aretē or moral excellence (see 2Pe. 1:5; cf. Phil. 4:8; 1Pe. 2:9; 2Pe. 1:3,5). For the Christian this is the work and fruit of the Holy Spirit (John 15:4-5; Gal. 5:22-23 NLT). The fruits of the faith are the greatest evidence that a Christian has genuine faith (2Cor. 13:5; 1Jn 2:3-6; 1Jn 3:6-10), without which he deserves no assurance (Jas 2:14-26): his faith is dead and blind. Moral Excellence separates a wise leader from a clever tyrant.
In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge (New Living Translation, 2015, 2Pet. 1:5),
Education amplifies moral excellence, turning raw potential into refined impact. This excellence can be traced to the ancient past. Moses’ secular Egyptian education in the Egyptian court provided him with leadership, writing, and strategic thinking skills—qualities that would later be crucial for his role in leading the Israelites (Acts 7:22). Similarly, Daniel’s secular Babylonian education prepared him and his companions for influential positions within a secular government (Daniel 1:4-5). God intentionally placed Daniel in an environment that valued broader learning beyond just religious instruction, granting him the knowledge and skills necessary for significant secular influence—all while he maintained his steadfast faith. It is our responsibility to continue this legacy.
And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds (ESV Study Bible, 2008, Acts 7:22).
Offspring are the truest legacy of moral excellence and education—in its purest form they pass on values, not just genes, continuing the education and character honed by their fathers.
Establish your work outside and get your fields ready; afterward build[b] your house (NET Bible, 2019, Pr. 24:27).b. Proverbs 24:27 sn If the term “house” is understood literally, the proverb would mean that one should be financially secure before building a house (cf. NLT). If “house” is figurative for household (metonymy of subject: children or family), the proverb would mean that one should have financial security and provision before starting a family. Some English versions suggest the latter meaning by using the word “home” for “house” (e.g., TEV, CEV) (Full Notes Edition, 2019, Pr. 24:27).
The wisdom that a man should become financially stable through education comes from God. A man with this motive demonstrates that he is not only hardworking and disciplined, but has mastered delayed gratification and is therefore the opposite of greedy. A man who takes a job solely for the sake of making money will neither have adequate resources for raising children nor the respect of the wife, who is by nature hypergamous. Inflation will exacerbate this dynamic to such an extreme that the struggle will become painfully obvious to those who mock the educated.
Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. (ESV Study Bible, 2008, Psa. 127:1-3).
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children (ESV Study Bible, 2008, Hosea 4:6; cf. Rom. 3:31).
The Third Highest Tier of Success: Scientific or Philanthropic Contribution to Humanity
A Truly Impovershed Man is a Materialist
The saddest and most impovershed of all men are those who believe that materialism is success. These are the people who confuse their net‑worth with their self‑worth. In 2014, Dittmar et al. Found that people who treat material wealth as the primary measure of success often pay a real psychological price: research finds that strong materialistic values are reliably associated with lower life satisfaction, greater social comparison and envy, and poorer mental well-being. In the same way that the upper class Pharisees envied the materially poor Christ, materialists also persecute the spiritually rich among us (Matt. 27:18; 25:40).
Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches (ESV Study Bible, 2008, Psa. 73:12).
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned (ESV Study Bible, 2008, Rom. 12:3).”
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall (ESV Study Bible, 2008, Pr. 16:18).
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted (ESV Study Bible, 2008, Matt. 23:12).
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves (ESV Study Bible, 2008, Phil. 2:3).
Let someone else praise you, not your own mouth — a stranger, not your own lips (ESV Study Bible, 2008, Pr. 27:2).
- Dittmar, H., Bond, R., Hurst, M., & Kasser, T. (2014). The relationship between materialism and personal well-being: A meta-analysis. Journal of personality and social psychology, 107(5), 879–924. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0037409
- ESV Study Bible (ESV Text Edition: 2016). (2008). Crossway.
- NET Bible: Full Notes Edition. (2019). Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.
- New Living Translation. (2015). Tyndale House Publishers.
- The Expanded Bible. (2011). Thomas Nelson.
Fraternitatis Aeternae, Ordo Luminis.