Success

"Blessed is the man who trusts the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; it's leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV Bible

In my prayer time this morning, I saw a picture of that game where people stand in a circle. In the middle is a person with their eyes shut that lets themselves fall into the arms of the circled people. They pass him back and forth and all around the circle. The people are shouting to him things like, "Take my path. My way will bring success, a beautiful home, and popularity. Let go of your will. Let go of your identity."
Then I hear Jesus off to the side, outside the circle. He says, "Man's ways are not my ways. You must follow me if you want true happiness. You must trust in me if you want true joy and success"
Then I saw that the people in the circle had dropped him. He is lying there wounded and discouraged. He feels like an unlovable failure. The voices shout, "You should have listened to me!"
God will never drop you. God will never ridicule you and call you a failure. God will never reject you. You may be the ugly duckling. Of course you are failing at being a duck. You are a beautiful swan.You are not a failure. You are a swan that keeps listening to the voices of ducks. Jesus is encouraging you to trust in him. Success is not defined by wealth and popularity. It is trust in God and being all God made you to be.