God's definition of success

Genesis 39:1-2
"Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharoah, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ismaelites who had taken him down there. The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian."

Note that Joseph was brought to Egypt after he was sold as a slave by his own brothers first to a group of Midianite merchants who then sold him to Potiphar, an official of Pharoah. Genesis 37:28,36

He then became successful because the Lord was with him and prospered him by giving him wisdom which eventually led to Pharoah putting Joseph in charge of the 'whole land of Egypt' Genesis 41:41. But this was only after Joseph had been wrongly accused of attempting sexual assault on Potiphar's wife an had spent more than 2 years in Pharoah's prison. While in prison, the Lord was still with Joseph and Joseph did not lose faith or wisdom. The Lord showed he was with Joseph by granting him kindness and showed him favour in the eyes of the prison guard. The guard put the whole prison under Joseph's care.

"So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph's care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did." Genesis 39:22-23

Note that Joseph was still in prison! So you can have success no matter what your circumstance! No matter how lowly your position in life.

But what of worldly success, you may say. Is it only the poor who speak this way? That the Lord gives success to the lowly?

Look what Solomon says then, the richest and wisest ruler of Jerusalem who ever lived.

"I thought in my heart, 'Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.' But that also proved to be meaningless.

'Laughter,' I said, 'is foolishness. And what does pleasure accomplish?' I tried cheering myself with wine and embracing folly - my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.

I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks then anyone in Jerusalem before me. I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the tresure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well - the delights of the heart of man. I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.

I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labour. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun." Ecclesiastes chapter 2.