The Pursuit of "Success"

Last year I took a job as a Youth Pastor/Young Life Church Partner. I took this job because for as long as I can remember I've loved people. I've loved being around anyone that was interested in being alive. So I took this job working with a section of our population that many in our society ignore, use, manipulate, and abuse. I believe that spending time with them will allow some of the love that Christ has given me to spread to them. Sometimes I feel like I'm a great example of who Christ is or who he wanted me to be. Other days I find myself struggling to wake up in the morning because there is simply too much stuff weighing me down. Their problems, my problems, family, relationship, financial, spiritual, and church problems. Regardless of these days I've been blessed to be paid to minister to people. To spend my time interacting in community with God's people. There is an overwhelming sense of gratitude in my soul about the opportunity I've been given.

In the midst of this gratitude, I find myself wondering what it means to be successful at my job. Ministry is different than most fields in terms of success. If I were an accountant I could express the amount of accounts I'd audited, created, closed, etc. As a doctor you can tell someone how many people you examined, how many diseases you diagnosed, or lives you saved. With a youth ministry however the same doesn't always apply. I could tell you 30 or 3 kids came to our last event, but that doesn't necessarily mean the event with 30 kids was more successful than one with 3. I think this is because "success" in youth ministry is less visible, and at times, invisible. It's less visible in that it is difficult to quantify to someone that doesn't know what I do how I'm doing. It can be invisible when there are days, weeks, months, or even years where I won't see any change/growth/fruit.

So, if someone asked me if I was a successful Youth Pastor, what would I say?

Honestly? Maybe. I hope so. I believe so.

That sounds odd to me when I re-read it, but I think its the truth. I plan a ministry, programming, events, contact work, everything, with the belief that God will take my actions and turn them into something that honors him. I believe success in Youth Ministry is not expressed in numbers, calendars, thumbs up, or youth group kids crying during worship time. These things are most certainly a part of a successful ministry, but you can have one or all of the things I've just mentioned and not be successful. 

Every morning when I wake up, on the good days or the bad days, success to me is doing everything I possibly can to further the kingdom of God. Sometimes that's planning a fundraiser, other times it is hanging out at a football game with kids building relationships, and still other times it is sitting by myself being alone with the God who created me. 

Success is what pleases God, not what pleases me or others. 

Success is being willing to look stupid so that Christ is glorified.

Success is loving despite that love not being returned.

Success is giving everything I have every day in the hopes that one individual is pointed to Christ.

I pray that when I sit in front of my maker at the gates to Heaven he looks at me and says that I was successful with the things he appointed me to do. 

Is there anything else that even matter?