The Measure of Success

I have yet to meet anyone who would not desire to succeed in life. We were born and created to achieve and make a difference with our lives. But what is the best measuring rod of success? What does success look like?
The world is full of various views and beliefs about life. What would be success to Mother Teresa the Saint of Calcutta would be viewed as abhorrent disaster to the Donald Trump's of our world. I have been deeply impacted by the biography "Bonhoeffer" by Eric Metaxas. This book tells the story of a theologian from Germany who lived during the era of the despot Adolf Hitler. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a brilliant thinker, writer and Pastor who during his lifetime was challenged to confront and resist evil at a high price. Though offered the chance to spend the war time teaching theology at a seminary in America, he heard God's call to return to his native land.
  Bonhoeffer had to take his beliefs, values and thoughts about God out of the classroom and live them in the most trying of times. His faith was refined by the fire of horrific evil and his measure of success was altered forever. Bonhoeffer as a man called by God to resist evil (he was implicated and eventually executed for his role in an attempt to kill Hitler) believed that success for the Christian was inseparable from obedience toward God.
  Have you ever asked yourself the question, "What would God have me to do with my life?" Do you choose you own way in life? Do you believe that there might be a greater purpose beyond your own individual comfort and ease? When you see suffering are you unmoved and indifferent? Would you say you are pursuing a meaningful vision with your life? What is it? How do you plan on achieving it? Would it take faith for you to achieve your life goals..... or could you achieve your goals apart from any beliefs at all?
  Life is so brief. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a single man in his 30's when his attempts to resist evil was found out by the secret police of the Nazi era. He endured torture and suffered the same fate of the Jewish people he desperately sought to protect and assist. He was willing to die so that others might live. He died two weeks prior to the end of World War two.... a last desperate act of revenge by the madman Hitler ensured his death by hanging.... he failed.... or did he?
  Bonhoeffer obeyed an inner call from an unseen God and defined success for those of us who say we believe in a God of love and justice. How do you measure success?

Jim