Should a pastor pursue success?

I have heard some people say that persons in ministry should not pursue success.  I'm sometimes tempted to ask them if it would be better for the minister to pursue failure, but so far I've resisted that temptation.  I think I understand where those people are coming from.  They simply have the wrong image of success.  They are probably thinking of some of the ministers we find on television who have convinced people that God will bless those who are faithful in sending their checks to these particular ministers.  I have a different definition for success.  Actually, I copied several Christian leader's definition of success in my book The Bivocational Pastor: Two Jobs, One Ministry.

• Robert Schuller defined success as "discovering and developing your potential as well as seeing the new opportunities born all around you every new day."
• John Maxwell said that success is "knowing God and his desires for me, growing to my maximum potential; and sowing seeds that benefit others."
• Charles Stanley wrote, "Success is the continuing achievement of becoming the person God wants you to be and accomplishing the goals God has helped you set."

The thing you should notice about these definitions of success is that they say nothing about the size of your house, the amount of money in your bank account, the type of car you drive, or even the size of your church.  Each of them focuses on our relationship with God and our responsibility to develop the potential God has placed within each of us so that we can more effectively serve those God directs our way.  I think it would be difficult for anyone to criticize a minister who was pursuing this kind of success.

We should also notice that these statements all imply that success is a journey.  Notice the verbs in these statements.  Discovering...developing...knowing...growing...sowing...accomplishing.  For the minister we never arrive at success.  Again, see what a couple of well known Christian leaders have to say about the matter.

• Charles Stanley - "Success is an ongoing pursuit...No person ever truly achieves success."
• John Maxwell - "Success is a journey rather than a destination."

Both of these individuals would be considered successful leaders, but they both insist that they remain on a journey towards success  Both are committed to on-going growth which is one of the hallmarks of anyone serious about being on the path towards success.  One cannot live up to his or her potential if that person ever stops growing.

There are several qualities one must continue to develop if one wishes to know success in ministry.  The book referenced above examines several of those qualities in more detail than we can cover in a blog post.  If you are serious about wanting to enjoy a successful ministry based upon the right definition of success I encourage you to read the book and apply what you learn to your own life.