Success Is the Outflow of Abiding
A small group that Joyel hosts at Mary Baldwin University plays a game. Courtesy of Joyel Allen
As she engages Mary Baldwin University with the gospel, Joyel finds her success in being with God, as her work flows out from abiding in him.
By Joyel Allen
Success in the kingdom of God can look vastly different than success in the world. We’re fed from family members, teachers, and friends that success looks like a lot of money, influence, and power. Those things are not inherently bad. The issue comes in when we expect those things to actually fulfill our being and meet the needs of our soul. The world promises things that it can never actually fulfill and leaves us feeling empty.
Followers of Christ have the simple yet challenging opportunity to be with God and to let the work we do overflow from that. And once we do that, we are successful in the kingdom of God. In my own personal life and ministry, sometimes I get this concept switched—that I somehow have to do things for God to get his approval and to be successful. But this simply isn’t true.
During my senior year, I got really involved in campus ministry, trying to finish up my classes, and securing a job for my future. Somewhere in that, I stopped seeking God’s face and started to only seek his hand. While fasting, God pointed out to me that I had a list of things that I would come to him with and then just leave his presence to get on with my day. I even had a list of things to pray about during the fast and didn’t ask God what he wanted to do.
As a result of this, I developed pride, anxiety, and I was exhausted from ignoring the reality that I could go to my heavenly Father to just be with him. During that time, God was faithful and loving to correct me and focus my attention back on him. And from that time abiding with him, I was fruitful in all of those areas!
We get the chance to invite God into our brokenness, our best days and our mundane, and be with him.
It’s amazing that Love Himself curated a space for you and I to just be. We can see this concept of just being with God all throughout the Bible. In the Old Testament, God instructed his people to build different temples and tabernacles to dwell with his children. In the Psalms, David describes a strong desire to dwell with his creator, and we learn that God inhabits the praises of his people. God even gave the ultimate sacrifice of his son on the cross which allowed for us to be reconciled to the Father.
We can see there’s something so special about creation being with our creator. The outflow of abiding and being with God is the fruit that we bear that not only benefits us, but those around us.
We’re constantly approached with opportunities to remain distracted, in bondage, and lost. We can trade God’s truth for lies of the enemy that negatively affect how we view ourselves or how we view God.
But even then, God is faithful to redirect us back to him. There is a fulfillment that we experience that trumps any kind of success the world can give. To be successful in the kingdom is to be with God.
I wrote a poem when I realized that I could show up as myself and be with the holy God:
God Is A Safe Space
Inspiration: Psalm 91:2
I can mess up here — He is my safe space
I can be corrected here — He is my safe space
I can be vulnerable here — He is my safe space
Perfection Himself, curated a space for you and I to just be…
I can go forth confidently — He is my safe space
Worry has no hold on me — He is my safe space
I do not fear — He is my safe space
Perfection Himself, curated a space for you and I to just be…