One of the arguments against the existence of God that I've heard during many one on one witnessing opportunities is that there can't be a God because bad people succeed and good people fail. A God wouldn't let that happen. First of all, without a standard of good and bad, good and bad wouldn't exist, and God set that standard. Second, and my main point, God doesn't let bad people succeed and good people fail. I believe this deals with perspective. Let us compare two passages of Scripture. First, Ecclesiastes 6:1-2 -- "There is an evil that I have seen under sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grevous evil." In this passage, we learn that fulfilled desires is not the same as enjoyment. Getting that which one counts as success is not the same as actually enjoying the fruits of success. While the evil man flourishes with success, most likely he is also drowning in despare, for he has all he wants, but does not truly reap the happiness that he thought his success would bring him. Rather, someone else enjoys his success for him, possibly that poor failure known as a righteous man. This man knows happiness, and gets it from the rich, successful, discouraged man. The second passage we should acquire wisdom from is Psalm 92:7, 12-15a -- "Though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever...The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, to declare that the LORD is upright." Here we find that the success of the evil man is of the earth and will soon transform into destruction. Everything comes and goes in its season. All that which is of this earth will be reduced to vanity, and all who trust in it will perish. But the righteous man, whose flourishing is in the house of God, will succeed forever, and will always be full of "sap," or, abundant, healthy, productive life, even when he is old. And this is so that the righteous can "declare that the LORD is upright." So I think success is all a part of perspective. To pile up vanity to oneself or to fill one's self with the uprightness of the Lord: which is true success? On the outside vanity is much more appealing. At least during life. But what then? All one has to offer God for his life is vanity. That which melts with the elements. Truly the righteous man who seems to fail in this life is filled with success that far exceeds the evil, wealthy man. That man can't even fully enjoy his wealth. So I will seek God. Not for pleasure, but because He is worth it. He is worthy of it.