It’s so easy as global workers to get caught up in a numbers game—we evaluate our success (or lack thereof) based on statistics: the number of conversions, disciples, attendees, churches planted, and so on. I’m not discounting the importance of visible fruit, but is it the measure of success? Or is there something else?

When I hear of the accomplishments of others, I often have two reactions—I celebrate their success, but I’m also attacked by condemnation as I compare their fruit to mine (which is less than I would like). This response happens subconsciously and rises before I can squash it.

Don’t get me wrong. We should always strive to be the best version of ourselves and be open to self-evaluation and to the feedback of others. Seeing visible fruit should be an essential objective. My only point is that it’s not the best measure of success. So what is?

This question brings us to our purpose for serving God—and, ultimately, for existing. In Ephesians 1, Paul talks about God’s plan of salvation, and when he gets to verse 12, he explains our purpose: we are “for the praise of His glory.” 

It’s impossible to define the word “glory” concisely. I think it’s because it refers to all that God is and does, all His attributes and qualities—basically, everything that would cause us to have a good opinion of Him. The term describes several things: God’s manifestation of Himself in nature and through His acts, His character, and His supernatural splendor and majesty. 

Let’s go on to examine the noun “praise.” It refers to “an expression of approval, admiration or commendation.” Paul is saying that God’s glory will be praised because of His followers. And here we see our ultimate purpose for belonging to God and serving Him: everything we do should display God’s attributes and actions for all the world to see, resulting in praise to God. 

So going back to the topic of how we can measure success in ministry, the question to ask ourselves isn’t “What are the numbers?” but “Am I reflecting God’s glory?”