Success is Really Just "Luck"

I often hear of guys who effortlessly make lots of money with their business. Lots of money. Well, they initially worked hard for it but then later just made passive income from them--income that just reproduces by itself over and over. And the best thing is, they don't know where to put the money they make so they spend it all on luxury. Often, stupid luxury. [Image above by Jaroslaw Kwoczala, Unsplash].

So, why not me?

I used to believe that success was the result of hard efforts. You study hard at school, pursue titles and degrees, work hard at the office, pursue after promotions and then you have success and riches. So I tried to study hard. When I dropped out of college due to an ailment and financial lack, I read as many books as I could. Because they said I got to work hard. I was a joiner.

That's when I developed the strange habit of taking books with me to the comfort room and spend hours there reading while seated on the toilet throne. I read all kinds of stuffs---world politics, world economy, socialism, feudalism, capitalism, world history, business, marketing, health, alternative medicine, inspirational, spiritual, mysticism, etc. aside from studying the bible.

It was because I wanted to be successful. I thought that study and hard work surely led to success and riches. I found a job and later did business. I was idealistic. I was sure I was going to be rich. But disappointments started pouring in. I made quite a bit of money, but not the kind that gave me success. I found that the more I worked the more success was elusive.

And I found other hard workers along the way similarly disappointed in life. Well, some made it big. They claim their hard work did it but they were a small minority. A small, minuscule, tiny minority who thought their hard efforts and wit was what catapulted them to the top. And we all thought likewise. We thought we were not working hard enough like them. We sometimes even thought we were lazy, or probably too dumb.

Just observe. In a "success seminar" or "success conference" how many successful people tell their stories on stage and how many are in the audience listening and still unsuccessful? And after the seminar, how many do you think would be as successful and rich as the successful guy who spoke at the seminar? The number of unsuccessful people easily outnumber those who are successful. And what often further baffled me was why these "successful" people still charged high fees for their seminars or conferences in the guise of "helping" unsuccessful people with their success tips.

Because they're not content. And where there's discontentment there's no real success. The more you work hard and look "successful" the more you will be unsatisfied. It's the curse in Eden keeping you busy and hardworking just to produce something "with painful toil" and "by the sweat of your brow...all the days of your life." And yet what do you get in the end? Just to be dirt. "And to dust you will return."

I can hardly see turning to dust as success.

Well, there is no such thing as hard-earned success. It's a myth. Hard work and efforts do not always equate to success. You do this and you get this. You do that and you get that---real life is not like that. There is no such formula. Even so-called successful people placed on pedestals by other people have no idea why they are successful--though they may think they have. And they're going to tell you it's mostly hard work.

It's not.

Nebuchadnezzar thought it was because he was so good. So did Herod. They may pretend to have found the secret to it (and sell it to you), but don't count on it. It was all mere gamble and they were just lucky to win. That's the truth of the matter.

Success is mainly luck. Watch this from Ecclesiastes 9:

I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance (by luck), by being in the right place at the right time.

And who puts you in the right place at the right time? It's GOD. To people who cannot understand that, they call it "chance" or "luck." To those who do, they call it "grace and mercy." To those who are very confused, they think it's what they did and worked hard for.

Success is really all grace and mercy, not hard work or effort. You may be so dumb or lazy, but God can favor you with material prosperity and success anytime he wants. You may be so hard working and honest and smart and yet live marginally all your life. It happens in real life if you just open your eyes to reality and be honest. Ecclesiastes:

Even though the actions of godly and wise people are in God’s hands, no one knows whether God will show them favor...People can never predict when hard times might come. Like fish in a net or birds in a trap, people are caught by sudden tragedy.

Why did God make it this way? To show us that we cannot control anything. We cannot determine our destiny. We cannot be sure of anything in this world. This world is a big lie. Thus, the only smart thing to do is to trust and rely on God and beg his grace and mercy for everything, everyday--although grace and mercy cannot be had by begging. Both are given by God in his grace and mercy.

So, do we negate schooling and hard work because anyway everything is by luck? By no means. Ecclesiastes advises us this: "Whatever you do, do well." [9.10]. Yup, give it your best shot. Be an expert. But it won't guarantee anything. Nothing in this world can guarantee your success. God alone decides it. We must try our best to prepare for success but we shouldn't expect our best to reward us. Only God can.

And anyway, God has a completely different view of success and failure. You may look so successful here--lots of money, good career, promotions, material possessions, awards and recognition, honors, positions and privileges, respect, travel perks, mansions--you name it. And yet, God sees you a failure.

While you may look like a born loser and yet be a real success and champion in God's eyes. Remember the Rich Man and Lazarus? Lazarus didn't do anything but beg. No hard work or high education. Not to mention being so sick with ugly sores on his skin which dogs leaked. YAK! What a failure. But God took him to paradise, a real winner.

The rich man envied by people and who probably thought he was great? He ended up in hell.

You may not know it, but despite your vicissitudes in life, you may actually be a real success. If you're poor in spirit and meek, Jesus calls you "blessed." And the word "blessed" ( Makarioi in Greek) can be translated to some extent as  "fortunate" or "lucky" according to some bible experts. And the meek shall "inherit the earth." You see how successful that is? It's not the educated or rich or powerful but the meek.

For centuries, powerful men have been trying to conquer the earth, to no avail. Even the church (Roman Catholic, Evangelical, Protestant, born again, etc.) has been trying to "reach" the world with the Gospel with not much impact. To this day, ungodliness still rule the world, and even in church. Probably because they always do it coming from a position of strength and pride.

They want to reach "unreached peoples" to make a name for themselves (not realizing many of them are still unreached themselves), though they won't admit it's just for ego-tripping but because they have a heart for evangelism.

They do not realize that the powerful key for conquering the world for Jesus is MEEKNESS. Unless you are meek, God will not reward you with the inheriting the earth. With your hard work, education, achievements and all, you will only be chasing after the wind.