成功是什麽意思？WhatDoes It Mean to Succeed?
作者: Iain Duguid 譯者: Maria Marta
成功是什麽意思？我們通常認為成功意味著達到特定的個人和職業目標：財政豐裕，受同輩尊重，供養穩固的家庭。 我們從獲得榮譽、達到頂峰、受到欽佩、變得富有、備受關注等方面來衡量成功。同時，失敗意味著窮困潦倒或無關緊要；不受歡迎或不討人喜歡；或者是羞辱的對象。甚至在事工方面，我們也常常認為「成功」意味著大型或快速增長的會眾，再加上如優秀牧師或傳道人這樣的聲譽，而「失敗」則意味著小型、或人數減少的群集；或因困難，或在方向問題上存在分歧而不得不離開教會。
當然，不同的人對這種成功定義的不同方面也有不同的評定。 一個人可能物質上擁有一切，但仍然覺得失敗，因為他缺乏名氣-----這對他來說是真正重要的一件事。 另一個人似乎一無所有，但仍感到成功，因為他在其它不同的領域實現了目標。 在教會生活中，有大教會的牧師不感到成功，因為他們羨慕那些牧養甚至更著名教會的牧師的位置，而一些牧養小群羊的牧師在追求愛上帝放置在他們底下的人的過程中，感到心滿意足。「成功」和「失敗」是對我們自己的地位和我們周遭其他人的地位的高度的主觀評價。
然而，人類對成功和失敗的判斷非常糟糕。 一方面，我們經常使用錯誤的衡量標尺。 我們判斷為「成功」的人-----富有、有權勢、有影響力、有吸引力--------但在上帝的國度卻得不到特別的稱讚。 與此同時，那些我們輕視的失敗的人------貧窮、破碎、不足掛齒------往往是那些上帝似乎特別關注的人。 根據耶穌的教導，人可能賺得全世界 -------幾乎超越所有的人類標準------但人生依然失敗，因為在這個過程中你失去了靈魂（太十六26）。耶穌同時亦宣稱人有可能失去所有的財產、關系、地位，然而在真正攸關重要之事上-------在你與上帝的關系中取得成功（可十28-30）。
此外，我們經常過早地作出判斷。 我們以目前的表面跡象為依據進行判斷，我們評估人，好像我們知道他們的故事的結果似的。 而在現實中，這個世界不會交代故事的結局，而是在將要到來的世界才曉得其結局，一些現在在前（「成功」）的人將要在後，而現在被判斷在後（「失敗」）的人將首先進入上帝的國（可十31）。上帝上下翻轉國度的成功標準，有異於現今時代的成功標準。
當然，聖經的智慧並不是簡單的徹底推翻傳統智慧，好讓現在貧賤的人被自動算入成功的行列，而任何有地位、有財富的人都被拋棄。聖經裡當然有明智地運用自己的財富或高職位的人，如約瑟和但以理。 即使在異教徒的環境當中，這些身居政府要職的人都能忠心服事上帝。 同樣，在耶穌被釘十字架之後，亞利馬太的約瑟運用他的財富為耶穌提供墳墓（太廿七57-59）。 但除了財富和地位之外，這些人所擁有的共同之處是，他們運用上帝賜予他們的資源，首先服事上帝和祂的國。
從聖經的角度來說，這的確意味著成功。成功之人的目標乃是先求上帝的國，取代了我們個人的王國的目標----不管它們可能是舒適、認同、金錢等等。任何妨礙成功之人事奉上帝的事物，他們都願意放棄，或者為上帝將這些事物作資源來使用，他是這些資源的一個管家，被吩咐有一天要交賬（參看太廿五14-30）。不管何種管家，成功的管家不是受托負最多資源的人。管家乃是忠心管理付托給他的資源的人（太廿五:21）。
因此，受托管理一間大房子的人應該問這間房子如何能作上帝國度的資源，也許用作舉辦教會活動的地方，也許用作到問宣教士的住處。一個擁有商業恩賜的人應當明智地運用他的恩賜來經商，從而使他的客戶、社區，和他自己得益。 能言的人也應以造就人的方式來運用其說話的恩賜：對那些蒙呼召作傳道的人來說，這可能意味著傳講信息；但是對一個掙紮的年輕母親或失落的少年來說，這可能是（聽到）一句合時的安慰溫暖的說話。有許多事奉上帝國度的方法，沒有引起我們周遭許多人的注意，盡管如此，但仍算是成功。
「不易引起我們注意」的成功的一個特征，就是在上帝的話語中紮根建基。根據詩篇第一篇，這是成功（「有福」）的人的關鍵記號。 這些人喜愛上帝的話語，晝夜思考，思考上帝律法的智慧和福音的榮美（詩一2）。 他們也明智處理律法和福音的關系（第1節）。 這些人像一棵樹，栽在溪水旁，按時候結果子（第3節）。 他們將經受住最後的考驗，即審判之日（5-6節）。 這並非意味著在這個時代總是很容易認出這樣的人。 詩篇七十三篇的作者幾乎被惡人現有的繁榮絆倒，惡人似乎興往，而敬虔人卻在爭紮（參看第2-4節）。連他也需要培養長遠的眼光，來理解這兩組人的極終命運（17-20節）。
當然，我們當中沒有一個人能夠真正達到這樣的成功標準。 我們當中哪一個人真正晝夜喜愛上帝的話語？ 大多數時候，我們都很容易在價值和重要性小得多的事上分心，不管它們是互聯網、書籍、電影，還是電視。我們當中哪一個人真正忠心運用賦予給我們的恩賜，不管它們是我們的時間、我們的才幹，還是我們的金錢？ 我們消除對別人做好事的機會，同時又過多的將它們花費在我們自己身上和我們自己的安逸上。 按照上帝話語的標準來判斷，我們都是失敗、不盈利的仆人，值得丟在黑暗裡（太25:30）。
然而上帝國度之榮美在於進入不需要成功的門票。上帝國度之門對這些人是敞開的：失敗者和浪子；那些將他們的資源（其實他們的資源一直是上帝的資源）浪費在筵席和放縱生活上的人-------或者，他們在某些情況下，吝嗇愛財，將可以豐富地祝福其他人的物資貯藏起來。以下的信息我們來說是好消息，因為我們的心非先求上帝的國，反而常常愛惜地上的物資------會生銹、有缺陷、易變壞------而不具有永恒的價值。 我們追求個人的名譽和讚賞，卻忽視上帝要我們在生命和財產上榮耀祂的要求。
因此，我們迫切需要耶穌基督代表我們获取成功。按照這世界的常規邏輯，這不像成功：耶穌離開天堂的榮耀，誕生在文明世界邊緣一個閉塞群落的馬槽裡。耶穌指導一小群門徒，他們經常起爭論，他們中間誰是最大，他們還沒領悟到耶穌最簡單的教導。 最後，門徒都離棄耶穌，逃跑了，在某些時候，還否認他們曾見過祂。 最後耶穌被死在十字架釘上，一種對罪犯施行的最可恥和最鄙視的懲罰。這不是那種被世人視為「成功」的概要。
然而，在這一切當中，耶穌尋求祂父的國高於祂自己的利益，祂為那些屬於祂的人舍棄自己的生命。祂的心珍視上帝的話語，喜愛與父上帝團契交通。 在受苦的盡頭，祂將祂的靈魂交在祂父的手裏，確信祂付出的代價會成就父上帝的目標。 三天以後，祂被勝利地高舉，祂升到天上，在那裡祂的名超乎萬名之上。 有一天，萬膝都將跪拜在祂面前，承認祂是成功的真正標準。
因此，所有與基督聯合的人永遠與祂的榮耀相連。我們成功的標準不能用我們地上的成就來定義; 這標準已由我們在基督裡這一事實來定義。 正是這一事實使我們得以自由，从而促使我們奉獻我們自己和我們所有的一切來服事基督的國度。 也正因這一事實，使我們從過去、現在、將來的壓迫着我們的罪中釋放出來，背起我們的十字架，跟從祂。 無論我「成功」還是「失敗」-------無論以什麽標準來恒量------最終都算不了什麽。最重要的是基督為我，代替我取得了成功這事實。 我唯一的希望和誇口并非以我的忠心為基礎，而是以這個事實為基礎：無論我富有還是貧窮，突出還是模糊，軟弱還是堅強，我忠信的救主愛我，為我舍己。 這是我-----或任何其他人------任何時候都需要的全部成功。
本文原刊於Tabletalk雜誌。
What
Does It Mean to Succeed?
FROM
Iain Duguid
What
does it mean to succeed? We typically think success involves reaching
particular personal and professional goals—prospering financially, being
respected by peers, raising a solid family, and so on. We measure success in
terms of receiving honor, reaching the top, being admired, getting rich, or
being noticed. Meanwhile, failure means being poor or insignificant, being
unpopular or disliked, or being the object of shame. Even in ministry, we often
rate “success” as a large or rapidly growing congregation, combined with a
reputation as a fine pastor or preacher, while “failure” means a small or
shrinking flock or having to leave a church because of difficulties or
differences over direction.
Different
aspects of this definition of success are rated differently by different
people, of course. One person may have everything financially yet still feel
like a failure because he lacks popularity, the one thing that really matters
to him. Another may seem to have nothing and yet feel successful because he has
achieved his goals in a different arena. In church life, there are pastors of
large churches who don’t feel successful because they envy the situations of
those whose churches are even more prominent, while some of those who shepherd
small flocks feel content in seeking to love well those whom God has placed under
them. “Success” and “failure” are highly subjective evaluations of our own
status and that of others around us.
Yet,
human beings are remarkably poor judges of success and failure. On the one
hand, we often use the wrong measuring sticks. The people whom we judge as
“success”—the rich, the powerful, the influential, and the attractive—receive
no special adulation in God’s kingdom. Meanwhile, those we look down on as
failures—the poor, the broken, and the unimportant people—are often those for
whom it seems God has a special concern. According to Jesus, it is possible to
gain the whole world—to succeed against almost every human yardstick—and still
fail at life because you lose your soul in the process (Matt. 16:26). At the
same time, Jesus declares that it is possible to lose all your possessions,
relationships, and status, and yet succeed in what really matters—in your
relationship with God (Mark 10:28–30).
In
addition, we often make premature judgments. We judge on the basis of present
appearances, evaluating people as if we knew the outcome of their story. In
reality, the end of the story will not be told in this world but in the world
to come, where some who are now first (“successful”) will be last, while others
who are now judged to be last (“failures”) will be first in God’s kingdom (Mark
10:31). The measures of success in God’s upside-down kingdom are not the same
as those of this present age.
Of
course, biblical wisdom does not simply turn conventional wisdom on its head so
that now the poor and lowly are automatically counted successful while anyone
with wealth or rank is dismissed out of hand. There are certainly people in the
Bible who used their wealth or high position wisely, such as Joseph or Daniel.
Even in a pagan environment, these men served the Lord faithfully at the
highest level of government. Likewise, Joseph of Arimathea used his wealth to
provide a tomb for Jesus after His crucifixion (Matt. 27:57–59). But more than
wealth or position, what these men had in common was that they served the Lord
and His kingdom first, with the resources He had given them.
This
is surely what it means to succeed from a biblical perspective. In place of
serving the goals of our own personal kingdoms, whatever they might be—comfort,
approval, money, and so on—the successful person puts first God’s kingdom. He
is willing to give up any of these things if they get in the way of serving
God, or to use them for God as resources over which he is a steward who will
one day be called to account (see Matt. 25:14–30). The successful steward is
not the one who is entrusted with the most resources, of whatever kind. It is
the steward who is faithful with the resources with which he has been entrusted
(Matt. 25:21).
Thus,
the person who has been entrusted with a large house should be asking how that
house can be a resource for the kingdom, perhaps by hosting church events or
housing visiting missionaries. The person with business gifts should use them
wisely to build a business that benefits his customers and the community as
well as himself. The person who can speak should do so in ways that build
people up: this may include preaching, for those called to that work, but it
can also be a kind word in season to a struggling young mother or a lost
teenager. There are many ways to serve God’s kingdom that evade the notice of
many around us but nonetheless constitute success.
One
aspect of success that easily evades our attention is being rooted and grounded
in the Word of God. This, according to Psalm 1, is a key mark of successful
(“blessed”) people. These people delight in God’s Word, meditating on it day
and night, pondering the wisdom of God’s laws as well as the beauty of the
gospel (Ps. 1:2). They will also be wise in their relationships (v. 1). These
individuals flourish like a well-watered tree, with green leaves and abundant
fruit in season (v. 3). These people will stand in the ultimate test, the day
of judgment (vv. 5–6). That doesn’t mean that such people are always easy to
spot in this present age. The writer of Psalm 73 almost stumbled over the
present prosperity of the wicked, who seemed to be flourishing while godly
people struggled (see vv. 2–4). He, too, needed to develop a long-term
perspective that perceived the ultimate destiny of the two groups (vv. 17–20).
Of
course, none of us can truly measure up to such a standard of success. Which of
us truly delights in God’s Word day and night? Most of the time, we are easily
distracted by things of much lesser value and significance, whether the
Internet, books, movies, or television. Which of us is truly faithful with the
gifts we have been given, whether our time, our talents, or our treasure? We
fritter away opportunities to do good to others, while spending inordinate
amounts of these things on ourselves and our own ease. Judged by the standard
of God’s Word, we are all found to be failures, unprofitable servants,
deserving of being cast into the outer darkness (Matt. 25:30).
Yet
the beauty of God’s kingdom is that success is not required for entry. The
doorway is wide open to failures and prodigals, to those who have squandered
their resources (which were really God’s resources all along) on feasting and
riotous living—or, in some cases, on the miserly hoarding of things with which
we could have richly blessed others. This is good news for us, for instead of
seeking first God’s kingdom, our hearts have so often treasured earthly
things—things that will rust, dent, and spoil—instead of the things that are of
eternal value. We have pursued personal reputation and acclaim while ignoring
the claims of God’s glory on our lives and our possessions.
For
that reason, we desperately need the success that Jesus Christ accomplished on
our behalf. It didn’t look like success by the regular logic of this world. He
left the halls of heavenly glory and was born in a stable in a backwater
community on the edge of the civilized world. He mentored a tiny group of
disciples who constantly bickered among themselves as to who was the greatest
while failing to grasp His simplest teachings. At the end, they all abandoned
Jesus and fled, in some cases denying that they had ever met Him. Then He was
crucified on a cross, the punishment reserved for the most heinous and despised
criminals. This is not the kind of résumé that the world counts as “success.”
In
all of this, however, Jesus sought His Father’s kingdom above His own
interests, laying down His life for those who were His. He treasured God’s Word
in His heart and delighted in His fellowship with the Father. At the end of His
suffering, He commended His spirit into His Father’s hands, confident that the
price He paid would accomplish His goals. After three days, He was raised
triumphantly, and He ascended into heaven, where His name is now exalted above
every name. One day, every knee will bow before Him and acknowledge that He is
the true measure of success.
As a
result, all those who are united to Christ are linked forever to His glory. The
measure of our success cannot be defined by what we accomplish here on earth;
it has already been defined by the fact that we are in Christ. It is this that
frees us to spend ourselves and everything we have in service to Christ’s
kingdom. And it is this that also frees us from crushing guilt over our past
and present failures to take up our cross and follow after Him. Whether I
“succeed” or “fail”—by whatever standard—ultimately counts for nothing. What
counts is the fact that Christ has succeeded for me, in my place. My only hope
and boast rest not in my faithfulness but in the fact that whether I am rich or
poor, prominent or obscure, weak or strong, my faithful Savior has loved me and
given Himself for me. That is all the success I—or anyone else—will ever need.
This
post was originally published in Tabletalk magazine.
