WHAT SUCCESS IS NOT Pt 2

IT IS NOT FAME

A revered minister of the gospel based in Ilorin spoke about the revelation he had about the score card of churches in Nigeria. He shared the revelation with ministers in a conference meeting. I watched the video of the meeting.

In that revelation, God showed him churches in Nigeria that were doing his will and running ministry according to pattern. The churches he saw were not popular. Himself didn't even know any of those churches God gave a pass mark.

Being a popular preacher, he discovered his church was missing on the list too. He was sincere enough to tell us that his church was not among the churches God commended in that revelation.

He was surprised that churches that were popular among men with wide network of branches weren't popular in heaven for being at the centre of God's will. In all, I picked a lesson from that story.

Popularity with men is not equal to success in God's sight.

With the pursuit of wealth comes the desire for fame as well. Some even pray for fame and they sweat it out just to be known by men. To them, success is when you become a household name. Just think about the things that people do to be famous with men.

A talented gospel singer may feel he doesn't have the publicity and fame he desires so he may just switch to singing songs that aren't glorifying to God, increase fan base and attract endorsement.

Those that want fame are always putting themselves on the spot where they can be noticed. If a preacher is consumed by the lust for fame, his church and programme publicity will point men to him and not Christ.

That inordinate desire for fame is the reason some call themselves by bogus titles and appellations alien to Christ. It is also the reason for some 'political' prophecies and staged miracles. They just want fame.

About Christ, John(3:30) says, "...This is the assigned moment for him to move into the center, while I slip off to the sidelines"(MSG). The minister pursuing fame will seek to be at the centre and put Christ at the sidelines.

While some are concerned about souls of men, they're concerned about their "fan base" and the number of likes and followers on social media. They live to please their fans and perform to maintain the fame while neglecting God. Their concern is not about what God says.

I think the Laodicean church had some measure of fame in their time but God's score card on them showed they failed him: "You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked"(Rev 3:17 NLT). What a shame!

Now that the world knows you and they deem you successful because you've become a household name, what is God saying about you?

True success begins the day your pursuit is channeled towards fulfilling God's will for your life.