I haven’t taken any math classes since I was 14 years old because equations give me a rash, but I recently read an equation that moved me. For three days, it rolled around in my head and forced me to take a serious look at how I have often defined success.

I discovered this convicting equation in a book titled Spiritual Simplicity by Pastor Chip Ingram. As the basis for his equation, Chip evaluates the popular scripture, 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 which says:

“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging symbol. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” (Emphasis mine).

Chip writes, “Paul’s goal in this passage was to help the church of Corinth focus on what matters most. In helping them deal with misplaced priorities, he gives the Corinthians one over-arching principle as a guideline to help them determine what’s really important. His guideline was simple, yet profound: anything minus love is nothing.”

Or, in a simple equation: Anything – love = nothing.

Let that sink in. Even good things—like “speaking with tongues of men or of angels,” or having gifts of prophecy and faith—if they are minus love, they are nothing.

Absolutely nada. Zero. Zip. Zilch. A big goose egg in God’s eyes. This truth hit me hard as I took a long look at my motives for why I do what I do.

My career minus love = nothing.

My purpose minus love = nothing.

My ministry minus love = nothing.

My dreams minus love = nothing.

And all my other good deeds. . . minus love they are nothing.

Overcoming the World’s Definition

The world—even the Christian world—often tells us that success is defined as performance, possessions, or influence. We’ve got to have a bigger platform, be more influential, write more books, and reach more people. While there is nothing wrong with these things if they are what God has called us to and they are done in love, it’s easy to swallow the lie that the little things we do are lesser in God’s eyes because they are lesser in ours.

But that is not how God defines success.

God defines success as L-O-V-E. That means that everyone can be successful, because everyone can express love.

Figuring It Out

So what do you or I do if we discover that we have defined success from a worldly viewpoint so we are being driven by performance, a need for approval, significance, or the desire for money or possessions instead of being driven by love?

We must make demonstrating love a priority with our families and those who God places in our path. When we do, these worldly motivating factors will diminish in our lives. Not only that, but we will find the love that we give away rolling back to us, filling up our hearts with a satisfaction that cannot be gained by selfishly serving ourselves.

And that, my friends is not a love equation that ends in “nothing.” That’s true success.

Additional Resources

The Blueprint for Life eight week study will help you discover God’s will for your life in five areas:  Spiritual; Relational; Physical; Financial; and Career. The study contains a personalized workbook and ten audio messages featuring Andy Stanley, Louie Giglio, Tony Evans, John Maxwell and others. Now available for digital download for $6.99.  Click here to check it out!