What does it really mean to live a successful Christian life?
Is success measured by the size of your church, the number of people attending your services, your musical abilities, your influence, or your accomplishments?
After more than 50 years of worship ministry, I’ve learned that true success isn’t measured by how much we accomplish for God. It’s measured by how closely we walk with Him and how faithfully we follow His Word.
You can be a gifted musician, a talented worship leader, or a successful pastor and still neglect the most important relationship in your life—your relationship with Jesus.
Our greatest calling isn’t simply to work for Jesus. It’s to know Him, love Him, and represent Him well.
The Apostle Paul gives us seven powerful principles for living a successful Christian life in Colossians 3:16–17.
“Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom He gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” — Colossians 3:16–17 NLT
Let’s look at seven keys that can transform our lives, our worship, and our ministry.
1. Fill Your Life With God’s Word
Paul begins with a powerful instruction: Let the message of Christ fill your life!
Notice that he doesn’t say to occasionally read the Word, listen to a sermon once a week, or memorize a few favourite verses.
He tells us to let Christ’s message dwell richly within us.
You cannot consistently lead people into a deeper relationship with God if you’re neglecting your own relationship with Him.
Years ago, someone challenged me to read through the four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—three times in one month.
That’s approximately nine chapters every day!
It was a wonderful way to immerse myself in the life, words, teachings, miracles, and character of Jesus.
Another challenge that has shaped my life has been reading through the Bible regularly. For decades, I’ve made daily Bible reading an essential part of my walk with God.
The more time we spend in God’s Word, the more we begin to understand His heart, His wisdom, and His ways.
Psalm 119:105 reminds us:
“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” — NLT
For Worship Leaders: Don’t spend more time preparing your songs than preparing your heart. Before you choose your setlist, spend time with the One you’re singing about.
Practical Challenge: Establish a daily Bible reading plan. Read not simply to gain information but to know Jesus more deeply.
2. Teach Others What God Has Taught You
Paul’s second instruction is to teach one another.
One of the greatest ways to grow spiritually is to share what you’ve learned with someone else.
You don’t need a theology degree or a large platform to teach. You simply need to be willing to pass along the wisdom and experience God has given you.
Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of teaching musicians, mentoring worship leaders, and encouraging younger Christians.
And I’ve discovered something important:
When you invest in someone else’s growth, God often deepens your own understanding.
Think about the people who have influenced your life.
Someone taught you how to pray. Someone helped you understand the Bible. Someone encouraged your musical gifts. Someone believed in you when you were just beginning.
Now it’s your turn!
Paul told Timothy:
“Teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.” — 2 Timothy 2:2 NLT
For Worship Leaders: Don’t just build a great worship team. Build great worshippers and future leaders. Mentor younger musicians, teach biblical worship, and create opportunities for others to grow.
Practical Challenge: Identify one person you can encourage, teach, or mentor this month.
3. Encourage and Counsel Others With God’s Wisdom
Everyone needs encouragement.
Even the strongest Christians experience discouragement, disappointment, and difficult seasons.
Paul instructs us to teach and counsel one another with the wisdom God provides.
That means our words should do more than communicate information. They should bring life, hope, correction, and encouragement.
Proverbs 19:20 says:
“Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life.” — NLT
I’ve been involved in music and ministry for more than five decades, and I’m still learning!
There is always another lesson to discover, another skill to develop, and another area where God wants us to grow.
We should never become so experienced that we stop being teachable.
But we must also learn to encourage others.
A few sincere words of encouragement can change someone’s entire day. Sometimes they can even change the direction of someone’s life.
For Worship Leaders: Your team needs more than musical direction. They need spiritual encouragement. Notice their progress, celebrate their growth, pray for their needs, and correct them with grace.
Practical Challenge: Encourage three people this week. Be specific about what you appreciate in them.
4. Make Singing and Worship a Daily Lifestyle
Paul tells us to sing!
Isn’t it interesting that singing is included among these instructions for Christian living?
God created music as a wonderful means of expressing our love, gratitude, and praise to Him.
Singing isn’t simply something we do during a Sunday church service. It can become a daily expression of our relationship with God.
Psalm 96:1 declares:
“Sing a new song to the Lord! Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!” — NLT
Some of the most meaningful times of worship I’ve experienced haven’t happened on a platform in front of thousands of people.
They’ve happened during personal moments with God.
Sometimes a simple song sung from a sincere heart can become a powerful expression of faith.
And here’s a wonderful thought: God Himself rejoices over His people with singing!
Zephaniah 3:17 describes the Lord rejoicing over us with joyful songs.
For Worship Leaders: Never allow singing to become merely your profession, responsibility, or Sunday assignment. Keep singing to God when nobody is listening.
Practical Challenge: Spend time every day singing to the Lord, even if it’s just one song.
5. Keep Jesus at the Center of Every Song
Paul specifically mentions psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.
The early Church understood that music could communicate biblical truth, encourage believers, and express heartfelt worship to God.
But here’s something every worship leader must remember:
There is a tremendous difference between singing worship songs and actually worshipping God.
We can sing every note correctly, play every chord perfectly, and lead a beautifully arranged service without truly engaging our hearts in worship.
Worship isn’t primarily about musical excellence. It’s about the One to whom our worship is directed.
Musical excellence is valuable. We should develop our gifts, rehearse faithfully, and give God our best.
But musical excellence must always serve spiritual purpose.
Jesus said:
“For God is Spirit, so those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.” — John 4:24 NLT
Whether you’re singing a great hymn, a modern worship chorus, or a spontaneous song of praise, remember Who you’re singing to.
Don’t just sing about God. Sing to God!
For Worship Leaders: Choose songs that communicate biblical truth, exalt Jesus, and help your congregation participate. Your goal isn’t to impress people with your music. It’s to help people worship the living God.
Practical Challenge: The next time you lead worship, consciously direct your attention toward Jesus rather than the congregation’s response.
6. Cultivate a Heart of Gratitude
Paul repeatedly emphasizes thanksgiving in these two verses.
Why?
Because gratitude is one of the clearest expressions of a heart that recognizes God’s goodness.
When I look back over my life, I have so much to thank God for.
He has forgiven my sins, directed my steps, provided for my needs, given me a wonderful wife and family, and allowed me the privilege of serving Him through music and ministry.
Has every season been easy? Absolutely not!
But through every challenge, I’ve discovered that God remains faithful.
Gratitude changes our perspective.
Instead of focusing on what we lack, we begin recognizing what God has already provided.
Instead of constantly complaining about our circumstances, we learn to praise God in the middle of them.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 says:
“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” — NLT
Notice that Paul doesn’t tell us to be thankful for every circumstance, but to remain thankful in every circumstance.
For Worship Leaders: Gratitude should be evident in our attitude, our words, and even our expressions when we lead worship. We have the extraordinary privilege of helping God’s people praise Him!
Practical Challenge: Begin each day by thanking God for five specific blessings in your life.
7. Represent Jesus in Everything You Do
Paul concludes with one of the most challenging instructions in the New Testament:
“And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus.” — Colossians 3:17 NLT
Think about that!
Whatever you do.
Whatever you say.
Not just when you’re leading worship.
Not just when you’re preaching, praying, or serving in church.
Every conversation, every decision, every relationship, and every action is an opportunity to represent Jesus.
That includes how we treat our spouse and family, how we respond to criticism, how we handle disagreements, and how we behave when nobody is watching.
Our greatest testimony isn’t necessarily what happens on a Sunday platform.
It’s how we live from Monday through Saturday.
People may admire our musical abilities, leadership skills, or accomplishments. But what they really need to see is the character of Jesus reflected in our lives.
Jesus said:
“Let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” — Matthew 5:16 NLT
For Worship Leaders: Your character will ultimately influence people more deeply than your talent. Be the same person off the platform that you appear to be on it.
Practical Challenge: Before you speak or act, ask yourself: “Will this represent Jesus well?”
Final Thoughts: What Does True Success Look Like?
It’s easy to spend our lives pursuing things that appear successful but have little eternal value.
We can build ministries, develop impressive musical skills, accomplish great things, and still miss what matters most.
Jesus never called us simply to be successful in the eyes of the world.
He called us to follow Him faithfully.
These seven principles from Colossians give us a wonderful picture of a successful Christian life:
- Fill your life with God’s Word.
- Teach others what you’ve learned.
- Encourage others with godly wisdom.
- Make singing and worship a daily lifestyle.
- Keep Jesus at the center of your worship.
- Cultivate a thankful heart.
- Represent Jesus in everything you do.
After more than 50 years in ministry, my desire is still the same: to know Jesus more deeply, love Him more fully, serve Him more faithfully, and finish well.
When we stand before Him one day, the greatest reward won’t be hearing how talented, popular, or successful we were.
It will be hearing these words:
“Well done, My good and faithful servant.” — Matthew 25:21 NLT
That’s the kind of success worth pursuing!
Questions for Personal Reflection
- Is God’s Word filling my heart and shaping my daily decisions?
- Am I intentionally encouraging and investing in others?
- Has worship become a routine, or is it still a heartfelt expression of my love for Jesus?
- Am I representing Jesus well in my home, my church, and my everyday relationships?
- Am I measuring success by worldly accomplishments or by faithfulness to God?
Which of these seven keys do you most need to strengthen in your life today?
