Proverbs 12:2

Proverbs 12:2 "A good man obtaineth favour of the LORD: but a man of wicked devices will he condemn."

Have you ever watched the National Hockey League’s presentation of their greatest prize, the Stanley Cup?  The current Stanley Cup is a three-foot-tall trophy weighing 34.5 pounds made of silver and nickel alloy and it goes to the team that wins the playoffs.  Just last night, the Las Vegas Knights won the Stanley Cup Finals and were presented with the Stanley Cup.  Each player took a turn hoisting the trophy up in the air and gave it a kiss or two while the fans erupted in applause.  These grown men who have made hockey their lives from childhood hugged, cred and claimed in interviews that there was no feeling like it.  Based on how they acted on the ice and what they said to reporters, winning the Stanley Cup was greater than finding a wife, becoming a father or finding peace with their Maker.  It’s really unbelievable!  Most professional sports share a similar scene and experience.  Professional football players act the same way when they win the Super Bowl as do professional basketball players and baseball players when they win their championships.

Our world measures success by tangible accomplishment.  We measure success by visible accomplishments.  Hitting or a throwing a ball better than everyone else makes a person wildly successful in our society.  Building a bigger house than everyone else deems a person successfully.  Singing a song or acting a part better than most on the big stage constitutes success in our world.  Our society absolutely idolizes the people who do extraordinary things.  Beautiful people are treated differently than average-looking people.  Strong and athletic people are treated very differently than average-built people.  Wealthy people are viewed differently than middle-class and lower-class people.  It’s just normal and natural for mankind to exalt the extraordinary.  It’s normal and natural for humanity to equate extraordinary with success.  Despite it being normal and natural to do this, should we?  
 
Does lifting the Stanley Cup before millions of viewers constitute success?
Is success defined by net worth?
Is an extraordinary person truly successful if they have millions of fans in the stands and just as many dollars in the bank?
Can any person claim to be genuinely successful if they don’t enjoy the favor of God?
Can any person claim to be truly successful if they have earned the condemnation of God?

This proverb tells us that God doesn’t reserve His favor for the extraordinary.  The proverb tells us that God doesn’t dole out His greatest blessings to those who claim the greatest accomplishments.  Solomon plainly teaches us that God gauges success by our level of goodness no matter how ordinary or extraordinary we may be.  A man may be an extraordinary athlete but be entirely void of the favor of God.  A woman may be an extraordinary vocalist but know nothing of the favor of God.  While the world may be wildly impressed by talent, ability and accomplishment, God is impressed only by our goodness.  While it may be hard for us to not be impressed with bulging muscles, big brains, huge mansions and beautiful bodies, God isn’t impressed with anything outside the moral condition of the soul.  The Psalmist said it perfectly in verses 10 and 11 of the 147th psalm when he wrote of God, “He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: He taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man.  The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear Him, in those that hope in His mercy.”
 
God isn’t impressed with a slap shot or a faceoff but He is impressed with a left winger who plays hockey for the glory of God.  God isn’t impressed with financial brilliance but He is impressed with a wealthy businessman who intentionally thanks God every day for His blessings.  God isn’t impressed with an amazing voice but He is impressed with a vocalist’s sincere desire to use that voice for the pleasure of God.  It’s GOODNESS, not greatness that opens the windows of heaven.  It’s goodness, not accomplishment or ability that shines that favor of God on a person.  Trophies, records, fame and wealth do nothing for God.  Honesty, holiness, faithfulness and virtue however, get God’s attention.  He gauges success in our world by the level of goodness in our souls.

A man of many trophies but many wicked devices receives no applause from his Maker – only condemnation.  Our society celebrates men and women who sing great songs despite devising wicked imaginations.  We idolize men and women who play great roles despite performing wicked deeds.  We adore men and women who break records despite breaking great commandments.  What hall of famer is a true success if their life has been riddled with drunkenness, marital unfaithfulness and greed?  What wealthy or accomplished soul whose life has been dominated by pride, covetousness or dishonesty can be considered truly successful?  A life lacking in goodness is a life lacking in the approval and favor of God.  A life lacking in the approval and favor of God cannot be a life worthy of success.

God does not gauge success the way we gauge success.  He does not applaud what we applaud.  He does not celebrate what we celebrate.  Often, He does not favor who we favor and He often condemns who we idolize.  Christian, be careful to gauge your own success by anything other than by God’s Gauge of Goodness.  Parents, be careful to gauge your child’s success by anything other than by God’s Gauge of Goodness.  Citizens, be careful to gauge your country’s success by anything other than by God’s Gauge of Goodness.  If you want the favor of God, pursue goodness and pursue it passionately as life without the favor of God is a life not worth living.