The Myth of Engineered Success

Can we really guarantee the outcomes we want?

Formulas are everywhere today.

How to lose weight. How to make money. How to solve your health or relationship problems.

But we forget that formulas have actually been around for a long time.

When the Jews erected the tabernacle in the desert, they were given a formula – for how to inaugurate the tabernacle and cause God’s presence to dwell with them.

At the time, Aaron followed this formula meticulously – dutifully performing the various sacrificial acts specified. Yet, according to our tradition, the Divine presence didn’t descend.

It was not until Moses and Aaron entered the tabernacle and prayed that God’s presence at last came down.

What does this have to do with our lives?

The formula for inaugurating the tabernacle was given by the Creator of the universe. So we might expect it to be like…the most effective formula of all time, right? But in a way, the formula seems like it was broken. Even when Aaron followed it, the Divine Presence didn’t descend. What gives?

Well, what would have happened if this divine formula was enough to guarantee success? If following the proper procedure produced the desired result? It would have given the Jews the impression that they could manipulate reality to produce a certain outcome – in this case, having God dwell with them.

But the procedure wasn’t enough. Moses and Aaron still had to pray.

When prayer is involved, we understand that the response is not something we force out of reality, but rather something bestowed upon us. Though we may be agents of the process, we are receivers of the results.

Part of the idolatry of marketing is the myth of engineered success. So much of what we encounter in the world promises to teach us not merely how to engage in a process, but how to achieve a certain outcome. And while following the right steps is definitely a great start to achieving a goal, the notion that we can engineer success is false.

We can invite success. We can pursue success. We can take every possible step within our power to try to achieve success. But we cannot force success.

The results of a process are always, at some level, a blessing.

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