God’s Economy: Redefining Success
Success in God’s Economy: Eternal principles for measuring organizational success
Defining success is critical to an organization being able to determine whether or not it achieve it’s mission. Where do our definitions come from? We tend not to think too hard about this. To us they seem obvious. In reality they are heavily influenced by the cultures we live in and by our own human nature.
Our cultures push us to see success in terms of growth and numerical results. Our definitions of success are frequently inadvertently influenced by pride, greed or even envy. In this article the writer will take you back to a Biblical understanding of success and reinforces the critical point that theology must be at the center of any Christian organizational development.
Success
We hear a lot about success today. Fortune 500 publishes a list of the most successful corporations, most successful global leaders and most successful sports stars. It is very possible that in the U.S. we may be obsessed with success. But in the Bible the word success is only used a few times. It is always used as something God gave. The source of success was God. It did not depend on the resources of people, it depended upon their faithfulness and obedience to God.
So what is success in God’s “economy?” What does success look like in His kingdom? How does scripture define the characteristics of success? In God’s economy, how is effectiveness and efficiency defined?
In The Upside Down Kingdom Donald Kraybill shows how God turns the values and goals of society on its head. In God’s kingdom, in His economy: You love your enemies rather than fight them. You pray for people who persecute you.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
The last are first, and the first are last. Leaders serve instead of expecting to be served.
People give without expecting anything in return and return on investment calculations are not made.
Less can be more. When Jesus fed the 5000, 2 plus 5 = 12. 5 loaves and 2 fishes equaled 12 baskets left over (Mark 5)
In God’s economy, output is not simply a formula from different inputs, but includes faith. It is about accessing spiritual resources we can’t see. It means exercising faith beyond what we can plan. In God’s economy He can enable our resources to be multiplied in ways we can’t imagine.
How do international development organizations define success?
Income and staff size?
Marketing success, name recognition or brand identity?
Number of transformed lives or communities?
In a world fixated on metrics, Voorhies Consulting redefines success for organizations in line with God's economy. We reshape paradigms, emphasizing faithfulness and selflessness over numerical gains. Our approach guides a shift from transactional measures to transformative impact, encouraging a deeper understanding of divine provision and sacrificial giving. We lead organizations to embrace a faith-driven approach, transcending traditional metrics and fostering lasting, impactful change.
