Success 4

Today I’m reading Colossians 3:23-24. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

In the 1920’s, when Ernest Hemingway was working hard to perfect his craft as a writer, he lost a suitcase that contained all his manuscripts. No computers back then so he lost it all. The manuscripts included many stories he’d laboriously polished to jewel-like perfection and planned on publishing. The devastated Hemingway couldn’t conceive of re-doing his work. He could only think of the months he’d devoted to his arduous writing, and it was all gone. But when he lamented his loss to the poet Ezra Pound, Pound called it a stroke of luck. He assured Hemingway that when he re-wrote the stories he would forget the weak parts and only the best material would reappear. Instead of framing the event in disappointment, Pound cast it in the light of opportunity. Hemingway did re-write the stories – and the rest is history. He became a major figure in American literature (and one of my favorite writers. I love his crisp sentences and tight descriptions).

Disappointment can keep people from succeeding. The pain of loss can prevent people from starting again. There is a lot of pain in this world for those who try to do anything well. Sometimes the temptation is just to follow the path of least resistance. Don’t do it. In faith, in family, in relationships, in work, in your creative pursuits – give it your best shot. Paul says the key is to remember who is it you are really serving and working and sweating for. Whatever you do, do it for the Lord and let your rewards come from Him – not necessarily the praise or recognition of others. True success is doing your best in whatever situation you find yourself. Please Him and your life with be blessed.

Jeff