What is the greatest test of our character? What should you look at if you want to know what a man or a woman is made of?

Success!

That’s right. The greatest test of a man’s character is his success. “What??? That goes exactly opposite of what you’ve been preaching, PH! I thought we were known by our faithfulness and not by our success!”

Yes. What counts is faithfulness and not necessarily success. At least not success in the eyes of men. But what reveals our heart perhaps more accurately than anything else is how we respond in our heart to our success. What we truly believe about our own success says more about what we are made of than anything else.

Prov. 27:21, “The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but man is tested by the praise he receives.”

Many people stay faithful to God through hardships and difficulties.But many people no longer stay faithful to God once they’ve experienced success. What does that show? They were faithful not really for God but for God to give the success. So, now that they have what they really wanted, which is success, they no longer need God.

This is why so many people start coming to church when there’s a problem but stop coming once the problem is solved.

There is nothing wrong with seeking God because of our immediate need (bread, sickness, security, etc), but if in the end our seeking does not end in seeking God for Himself rather than seeking God for ourselves, there is no eternal life!

Yes. I do believe there are a horde of church people who sincerely believe they are saved, but they are not!

How do we know? Look at how they act once success is granted.

Look at a girl who sought God hard for a suitable marriage partner. What happens after she gets married?
Look at a man who seeks God desperately for a job. What happens after he finds a job?
Look at a couple who earnestly pray to God for the child’s health. What happens when he is healed?
Look at a church planter who labors hard for the church to grow. What happens when the church grows large?

There is the test!

Fear success more than failure!

PH