Acts 7:58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at the young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.
What is the definition of success? Can you be successful and have a bad day? Maybe there is not an obvious answer to that, but I want you to think about it and about a man named Stephen. Stephen was being confronted because he was preaching the truth about Jesus Christ to those who were in authority, specifically religious leaders, who did not want to hear that message. What follows is kind of an answer to the question, “What does it mean to be a success?”
Stephen talks about historical examples of men who were a great success though they had really bad days. Stephen himself exemplifies that point. He is preaching this message essentially in answer to accusations leveled against him about being a Christ-follower. He speaks about the history of God’s working with Israel. God made a covenant with Abraham that was borne out by men like Joseph and Moses, each of whom had some horrible days. But, both Joseph and Moses were successes regardless of those bad days.
For instance, Stephen preaches in verse 9, “And the patriarchs, moved with envy, and sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him.” So, here is Joseph in a pit and someone looks down into the pit and says, “Joseph, did you have a good day?” No! He had a horrible day. Was he a success? Here he is in a prison, and you ask, “Joseph, did you have a good day?” No! But was he a success? Here is Joseph in the palace. Was he any more a success in the palace than he was in the pit and the prison when no one cared about him? No! The standard was not what people thought of him or how he felt at the time. The Bible says that “God was with him.” That is partly the definition of success.
Later, Stephen talks about Moses. Moses led God’s people out of Egypt, yet he couldn’t even lead two of his own countrymen on a previous occasion. The Bible says in verse 25, “For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.” They pushed back against Moses and would not follow him. Here is a guy who couldn’t lead even two people and yet God had commissioned him to lead the entire nation of Israel out of Egypt. Was he a success?
What about Jesus himself? Stephen goes on to talk about Jesus, and how He had been rejected by His own people. “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” So, let me absolve you of the burden of thinking that if you have not had a good day that you are a failure, or thinking that just because you have had a good day, you are a success.
There is something important that we can learn here, and really the apex is with Stephen himself. When he finished his message those who heard “were cut to the heart.” They stopped their ears and didn’t listen. They were cut to the heart and they killed Stephen. Was Stephen a success? The Bible says that the witnesses “laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.” You probably know that Saul later became Paul and God used him greatly, but not on this day. Saul was consenting unto the death of Stephen.
God is probably doing more through this day than He will do in this day, which means, you cannot assess this day merely on what people think of you and how you feel about yourself. In short, you don’t have to enjoy a good day or see the big picture in order to be a success. Did Joseph know that he was part of God’s big picture in keeping His promise to Abraham? No. Did Moses realize he was part of a much bigger picture than his own life? No. Did Stephen realize this or know who Saul would become? No. You don’t have to enjoy a good day or even know the big picture in order to be a success, but you do need to follow the light that you have.
Maybe today you feel like you don’t have enough light to do the right thing, but the fact is, if you will be like Stephen was, full of faith and full of the Holy Ghost, then you can know what you should do today and that should suffice. I don’t need to be worried about what is a week, a month, or a year from today. I can know I am a success regardless of how I feel or what people think by doing what I know to be right, right now. If I do that, I will be where I ought to be in the future.