The Barna Research Group did a survey on how Americans define success in life. Unfortunately, there was little statistical difference between how Christians and non-Christians defined success. The top 4 definitions were the following: good health, a successful career, a comfortable lifestyle, and a functional family.

By this definition, was Jesus successful? He never married or had a family; from what we know, he did not own a home or have any possessions; he had no career; and he died at the young age of 33. So was He a failure?

Christ has a lasting impact on history, on the world, and on our eternal destiny. I don’t think any of us would say that He failed. So, if Jesus was a success, then we as Christians need a new definition of success.

When you pass an associate in the hall, a stranger on the street or your spouse when they return home at the end of the day, the most common question asked is “how are you doing?” And the most common answer is “fine.” What if you passed Jesus on the street today and He asked you that question? What do you think He wants your answer to be?

If I had to guess, I would say He wants to hear you are “thriving!”