Momentum as a Measurement of Success

It was the summer of 1975.  We moved into the trailer park after my parent's divorce was final.  With a new home, came a new school and new friends.  Big Jim was my toy of choice at that time.  The Whip was my favorite "Guy" as I called him, and he attracted a lot of attention when I paired him with my Big Jim Camper Van out in my front yard.  Soon I had several young boys my age playing with my "Guys", and Eddie was quickly identified as my best buddy. 

We were asleep when it happened.  It sounded like a gunshot or an explosion.  The trailer rocked violently, and soon all of us were awake and trying to figure out what had happened.  My mother and stepfather quickly called the police when they realized that someone had run into our trailer with their car.  The impact caused quite a lot of damage, as well was a natural gas leak which required our immediate evacuation.

Eddie and I became local celebrities that night.  For me it was something I enjoyed. Not so much for Eddie.  His father was uninsured and intoxicated when he hit our home.  The event caused him a great deal of embarrassment, and our friendship was never the same.  I held no anger or resentment towards him or his dad.  My dad was an alcoholic, so I empathized. I understood the shame.  My desire to maintain our friendship could not overcome the momentum of Eddie's disgrace.

For Eddie's Father, momentum did not equal success, mainly due to his trajectory.  If he had made it home that night without colliding into our trailer, perhaps that would have been measured as success.  Instead he spent a night in jail, lost his license, and had to go rehab.  Wait, maybe that was success?


I read this passage today in Luke 8:43-48...

⁴³ And a woman who had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and could not be healed by anyone, ⁴⁴ came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped. ⁴⁵ And Jesus said, “Who is the one who touched Me?” And while they were all denying it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing in on You.” ⁴⁶ But Jesus said, “Someone did touch Me, for I was aware that power had gone out of Me.” ⁴⁷ When the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came trembling and fell down before Him, and declared in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed. ⁴⁸ And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

I was reminded of how Jesus' momentum was redirected to the woman in need so the He could affirm the amazing faith that led to her healing, and so that he could give glory to God His Father at the same time.  Jesus knew that Jairus' daughter was at death's door.  He understood the urgency of the moment, and yet He stopped to acknowledge this poor woman's faith.  He did not allow the tyranny of the moment rule Him.  His delay enabled Him to display God's power more directly through the resurrection of a 12 year old girl.  

Both Jairus and the women that touched Jesus' cloak had their faith strengthened that day.  All because Jesus chose to display God's strength in the midst of their weakness.  Momentum played a part because all parties were moving, but momentum was not how success was measured.

Likewise in our lives we need momentum to reach our goals.  Even the disciplines that seem to be inert, require us to move in some way to achieve them.  I experience this often as a Project Manager, because so much of my time is spent in the Planning Phase of a project.  

The Planning Phase seems to be filled with inertia.  It appears that nothing is getting done.  However, without this phase the rest of the project is doomed to failure, primarily due to a lack of trajectory.  

Momentum combined with a solid trajectory or goal will provide you with an outcome that you can thereby measure your success. Momentum in and of itself does not equal success, but it does contribute to it.  The real question is, how do you define success?  

Momentum can lead you to crash into a trailer, or it can redirect you to affirm someone's faith.  How you measure your success depends on the course you have set for yourself.  For Eddie's Dad, the trajectory he was on that night in 1975 required a correction.  The crash may have achieved that, but I am certain he would have preferred the use of a different path to meet that goal.  

This has me thinking about how I am measuring my success.  Is it about my achievements at work?  Am I am living vicariously through my children?  Do I keep a checklist of all things spiritual?  Do I base my success on how much my spouse loves me?  Do I try to see myself through the eyes of my risen Savior, or through the filter of what this world has to offer?

If I am honest, it is most likely a combination of these elements.  I do know that my end goal or trajectory involves hearing these simple words, "Well done good and faithful servant."  May that be the gold standard of my success and yours too!

With this in mind, where are you headed? When you get there, why will you be satisfied?  Tell me your thoughts in the comments section below.