The Bible has a lot of things to say when it comes to success, and it all points to one thing: humility before the Lord.
Commit your work to the Lord, delight yourself in the Lord, keep God’s commandments, humble ourselves before the Lord. All of these commands will reveal God’s blessing to us, but what does actual success look like?
As the Word of God says, man looks at the outside appearance, while God looks at the heart. So we don’t need an expensive suit, fast car or mansion to be successful in God’s eyes, because He wants our obedience and reverence.
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After 50 years in ministry, Benny Hinn has experienced a wide spectrum of success and failures in ministry. He recently shared with Charisma Media founder Stephen Strang on the Strang Report podcast what success in ministry looks like to him.
“Jesus,” Hinn says. “If Jesus is glorified, that’s success. Because His presence in our life is what brings results to the kingdom.
“This is why souls are saved. Bodies are healed. Lives are changed. Where He is, there is liberty in you and through you,” he adds.
It has become apparent that in America, the sign of a “successful” church is one that holds sermons in a massive auditorium and has a large congregation. But this is what man looks at, from the outside.
While there is nothing wrong with having a large church in and of itself, it is the focus on what success looks like in numbers that has been skewed in America today.
Take the Asbury Awakening that occurred in February of 2023. This outpouring of God’s Spirit took place in an unassuming college chapel and was led by students. No celebrity speakers, no grandiose events, just a collective of college students who had hearts for the Lord.
Does this mean that the Lord doesn’t move in larger churches? Certainly not, just look at the revival services held by Free Chapel in Gainesville, Georgia, led by Pastor Jentezen Franklin and Evangelist Perry Stone in October and November of 2023.
What started as a Sunday morning sermon turned into two weeks of altar calls, salvations and repentance.
This is what the Lord wants, our hearts. He wants us to die to ourselves and put Him first, and by doing so, we will live a successful life in ministry according to His guidelines, not the world’s.
“And that, I think, is what success is. It’s not about numbers and crowds and money and all that,” Hinn says. “It’s about the Lord in someone’s life. What more can we ask for? He is all in all to us.”
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James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.
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