Secrets of Success

It goes without saying that God wants us to be successful; successful in our families, our relationships, our jobs, our finances, in utilizing the gifts He has poured into each of us.  I dare say we want the same thing, and as we begin another year I’m sure we all hope it is successful, perhaps more so than previous years where no matter how hard we tried, success seemed to remain just outside our grasp. Our families were not what we hoped for, nor our relationships, our jobs, our finances. How can this be when we’ve done everything we know how to do?  When we’ve given it our best and still to no avail? To know the answer there are certain things we must understand.  First, for the believer, promotion comes from God (Psalm 75:6-7), and it always comes in His perfect timing.  Second, the path to Godly promotion (success) is totally opposite of the path to worldly promotion, and often appears as foolishness in the world’s eyes. But don’t worry, “the foolishness of God is wiser than men” (1 Corinthians 1:25).

So how do we achieve Godly success? Jesus called John the Baptist the greatest of men (Matthew 11:11). So here’s our first clue. What was it about John that made him so great? A one-liner from John himself says it all: “He (Jesus) must increase but I must decrease” (John 3:30). Wow! That’s a mouthful.  And to me it says as long as we remain the center of our world, the “Big I” on the throne of our hearts and minds, we are not going to be all we can be, and certainly not all that God wants us to be because that “center” belongs to Jesus.

Jesus gave us a few more clues when He said “if any man desires to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all” (Mark 9:35). He also said we are not to do anything with selfish or conceited motives, and that we must esteem others more highly than ourselves (Philippians 2:3 Amplified Bible).  Jesus is not talking about being a doormat here.  He’s talking about walking humbly before Him, caring about others and not always putting yourself first. If we do it His way, then He is bound by his word to honor us through promotion, blessings, and protection. If we violate His principles, then He is not.

“But,” you say, “there are many ungodly people who are successful.  Look at the entertainment industry. Look at sports, politics, business.”  Well, Satan is still the god of this world and he can make successful those who serve him, albeit unknowingly, through blaspheming the things of God, or through greed, dishonesty, etc., because just as Jesus is working to enlarge the Kingdom of God, so Satan is working to increase his own kingdom. But one day, Jesus will return to take back the earth, and rule and reign as its King.  Until then, He wants His people to occupy, and He wants us to do it successfully.  And it will be the kind of success that does not destroy us or fill us with overweening pride. It is a success that will be a blessing to ourselves and others, and will have consequences that reach far into eternity.

May God give us all a successful 2011!

Until next week,

Sylvia