I simply adored my career in the pharmaceutical industry. My days were filled with visits to doctors’ offices all over northwest Alabama or sales meetings in fun cities. I had a company car, an expense account, and constant interaction with a wide range of fascinating people. I couldn’t imagine a job more enjoyable or better suited to my personality and preferences. The generous salary I received was gravy.
Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, my company announced a new incentive program to boost sales. Employees that exceeded their sales quotas and showed signs of leadership were in the running. Those chosen for this high honor would be acknowledged before the whole corporation. Winners not only received a nice paycheck bump, they also got to attend the National Recognition Meeting at a plush resort. The promised rewards got my wheels turning. I began to plan my work and work my plan. I intended to be at that meeting.
When the recipients were announced, I was delighted when they called my name that first year. Those extra sales calls had paid off. The taste of success left me hungry for more, so I put my competitive streak to work. To make sure that I won again, I delivered special care packages to my best customers. I ruthlessly guarded my much-prized Prozac samples so that they got me the biggest bang for my buck. The result was that I was chosen again and again for five consecutive years.
Even though my achievements were unprecedented in company history, and they made valiant efforts to give me special recognition, the law of diminishing returns began to set in. The firm continued to get increasing sales from me and I received very attractive perks from them. But it started to dawn on me that the exhilarating feelings didn’t last very long. More troublesome was the pressure I felt to somehow hold onto that top spot. I had to find a way to do even more than I was already doing to stay in the lead.
These fears were confirmed for me in a very memorable way on my fourth National Recognition trip. A significant moment happened during the awards ceremony. Each winner came to the platform to collect a gold pin, a plaque, and a handshake from the president of the pharmaceutical division. We moved forward in ranks, first time achievers first, followed by second timers, and so on.
I was the only woman in a tiny group of fourth-time winners. When I crossed the stage, instead of a standard congratulatory remark, the president greeted me with an unexpected question. “So, how are you doing on quota this year?” he wanted to know. There it was. He actually said it! My hard work of the past didn’t even merit a comment. The message was clear: Only the lead dog gets a change of scenery.
Someone captured this moment with a Polaroid camera. I found the picture when I was rummaging through a box in my attic this summer. I thought it very telling that such a groundbreaking accomplishment was forgotten in a hot, dusty attic for more than a decade.
That snapshot depicted the fleeting nature of my career pursuits. At the same time it raised questions about the true nature of success. As has been my practice since adolescence, I turned to the Bible for answers. What God has to say about success has little to do with fame or fortune.
We find God’s definition of success in the first chapter of Joshua. It comes at a pivotal point in Joshua’s life. He has just been appointed as successor to Moses and he has some tough shoes to fill. God addresses this issue in verse 5, “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.” What a fantastic thing to say! It totally took the competition out of it. God guaranteed Joshua that he possessed the exact same secret that kept Moses thriving for forty winning seasons – His very presence.
God reveals the game plan for good success in verse 8. His basic strategy for us is to listen to Him and follow His instructions. If our life’s ambition is to wholeheartedly follow God, He says that we are a success!
A prosperous future awaits those who follow God’s plan. In my case, that meant that my days in the corporate world were numbered. God’s new assignment for me would include being a ful-ltime mom and leading a discipleship ministry. What I lost in earthly glamour has been replaced by priceless glimpses of God’s glory.
Whether we are conquering enemy nations like Joshua or seeking to make our lives count in the workplace, home, or community, God measures our achievement in ways that cannot be seen. His timeline is eternal. The rewards we reap will be beyond compare. We can have the joy of knowing that our lives have been well lived as we reach for the heavenly prize that awaits us.
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
Joshua 1:8