I was thinking about whether Scales is a successful band or not, and it got me thinking about how we, as the church, define success. When I hear the word success, I automatically think of money and popularity. Anyone who is “successful” in life has cash and comfort and ease of life, and is perhaps popular and well-liked. But if we read scripture and still have that idea of success, we are reading the wrong bible. Jesus’s life is a perfect example of why. He didn’t have cash, he didn’t even have a place to rest his head, and he sure didn’t have a comfortable, easy life. He was hated, rejected, betrayed, wrongly accused, beaten, and killed. And we think we should be comfortable. Success should have nothing to do with personal wealth or popularity. A successful life in God’s eyes is the life of Christ. Those who are successful are those who are humbled before their Creator and who realize they are nothing without Him and that He is all that matters. He’s everything. And that will be reflected in their life through their love for others. The rich man lacked one thing,“If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” If we want to be successful in God’s eyes but find our lives to be comfortable and easy, void of struggle, perhaps we are missing something. If we find ourselves aiming for popularity, we’re missing something. If we find ourselves apart from the poor, the downtrodden in life, we are definitely missing something.