Mission Impossible: Handling Success Without Losing Your Soul

Anyone who is successful in this world has signed up for Mission: Impossible.

If that seems astonishing, it should be. The disciples thought so too.

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”” (Mark 10:25-27 NKJV).

God desires to bless His people. But success in this world comes with a spiritual danger: it blinds us to our spiritual condition, and can cause us to trust in money when we should be trusting in God.

Conflating Spiritual Condition with Physical

The church in Laodicea was rebuked by Jesus because they thought that they were financially independent. They thought that they had achieved everything in this life.

The reality was that they were wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. Their true condition was the polar opposite of their physical/material condition.

“So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see” (Revelation 3:16-18 NKJV).

This message should be a wakeup call. Wealth can leave you so blinded that you think you are spiritually well-off, when in fact, you’re spiritually bankrupt and homeless.

The poor have a significant advantage in entering the kingdom because their physical condition mirrors their spiritual condition.

“When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick” (Matthew 9:12 NKJV).

The reality is that everyone is spiritually sick, but He only came for those who would recognize it. It’s not that the wealthy cannot enter the kingdom of God. They just need a miracle to understand that they are sick.

Worldly success demands the miraculous to enter the Kingdom of God. But spiritual “success” also has challenges.

Knowledge and Miracles Don’t Qualify

In the information era knowledge is highly esteemed, even in the church. But knowledge puffs up with pride, whereas love is what people need to be built up (1 Corinthians 8:1).

We can be very knowledgeable about the Bible, and still completely miss God.

We can cast out demons, prophesy in His name, perform wonders in His name, and still go horribly astray.

““Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matthew 7:21-23 NKJV).

It is only those who do His will that will be with Him for eternity. Everyone else, who is not doing His will, is working lawlessness in the earth.

How We Respond After Doing His Will Matters Too

Even if we are doing His will, thanking Him, loving others the way He did, have a working faith that is setting captives free—we can still fall into pride.

“Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”” (Luke 10:20 NKJV).

Our disposition should be that of the humble servant who is doing His master’s will.

“So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’”” (Luke 17:10 NKJV).

The greatest miracle that He has done for us is to save us from darkness, from torment, from Hell. It is better to remain in this place of thankfulness, because it will keep us on the path of life.

We will have all the time in eternity to consider how the Lord worked through us and through others. But for now, we’re humble servants doing what He has asked of us, and we praise Him for rescuing ourselves and others.

Pressing into this even further, what constitutes true success? What does it take to be the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven?

True Success

True success is hidden in this mystery, that we must desire to lose our life in this world. If the things in this world, the pride of life, the lusts of the flesh, and the lusts of the eyes have us, we’re still holding on to this life.

“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25 NKJV).

But to be the greatest…

“And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”” (Mark 9:35 NKJV).

We have been called to serve, not to be served. Every apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher is called to serve. We are all called to serve His bride.

Those who truly understand the calling to serve, to be the least of these, don’t draw attention to themselves. They follow Him wherever He leads. Most of them are not well-known. They may not even be noticed. But they’re doing His will no matter the cost.

We should be seeking to be first. Just not first in this life. If we say that we want to be first, it’s often frowned upon in church circles. Ironically, many are still striving to be first in this life without stating as much.

Seeking to be First

Things have become backwards. The simple truths of the Gospel have been diluted in popular culture.

“eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality;” (Romans 2:7 NKJV).

We are supposed to seek glory, honor, and immortality, but not from this world. We must be last in this world in order to be first in His.

If we want to hear “well done, good and faithful servant,” we’re going to have to pursue it.

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown” (1 Corinthians 9:24-25 NKJV).

We must run in such a way as to win the prize. To do so, we must not become intertwined with the affairs of this life. And we must aim to be least and servant of all.

If we're ready for Mission: Impossible, we can trust Him to direct our wealth in such a way that it produces eternal reward.

Redemption of Worldly Wealth

Earthly riches are redeemed when they are used to accomplish the mission, which is to love one another.

“So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”” (Mark 10:29-31 NKJV).

Believers are supposed to be the biggest savers of money. Not for this world, but for the next. Everything we give for His kingdom, is an investment in our heavenly account.

However, if the desire is to be rich, we’re going to run into serious trouble.

Desiring to be Rich

Wealth isn’t the problem, but the desire to be wealthy most certainly is. All kinds of evil will spring from this desire.

“But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:9-10 NKJV).

Our desire must be to accomplish our assigned mission in the earth. That mission may require much in the way of financial resources. But their purpose is for the kingdom.

Wealth promises independence… but leads us to depend on it instead of God.

Conclusion

“Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:14 NKJV).

Wealth for His kingdom purposes is good. But, the desire to be wealthy is a path of destruction. Success has a voice, it will lie, saying, “you’re doing great.”

Much biblical knowledge, mighty miracles, even prophecies in His name—none of it qualifies us for His kingdom. Only doing His will does.

We must consider others better than ourselves, not comparing to one another. We must not show partiality to the wealthy.

If we want to be first, we must seek to be last and servant of all. And as we do His will, we understand that we’re humble servants, just doing what our master has required.

We have an assignment to take the good news to the ends of the earth. To make disciples of all the nations. We’ve been given all the resources for the mission.

Let’s seek to be first. Not in this world, but in His.