Success

Today I'm reading 1 Samuel 18:13-15 “So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led the troops in their campaigns. In everything he did he had great success, because the LORD was with him. When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him.”

In some Christian circles the word "success" has almost become a dirty word, for a couple of reasons. First, it gets associate with the 'health and wealth' gospel that basically sees faith in Christ as a means to financial gain and personal prosperity. You know - "You're a child of the King so you deserve that Mercedes!!" That's a perversion of the Gospel and if that's your definition of success then you've moved beyond the teaching of Scripture.

Another reason the word 'success' is shunned is because it is also associated with self-help, new age pop-pyschology. And sometimes the line between biblical teaching on God's life principles and pop-pyschology get blurred. The Gospel isn't just 'five easy steps to success' but the Bible does have tremendous practical advice on how to live, and living God's way DOES have positive benefits throughout life and business. So, you would be wise to follow God's principles, and your life will be better than if you break God's principles. In fact there's a whole book of the Bible devoted to good life principles - called "Proverbs".

So, I am comfortable talking about success as long as success is defined as aligning one's self with God's truth, God's principles and God's will. I think God does want us to do well in our professions; he does want us to do our best as we make a contribution to our culture; he does want us to be effective in our ministries and in our families and in our personal pursuits (when they bring glory to him). So, it's OK to plan, to think, to strategize about how to do things right. How to do things so that they work. How to be successful.

Here's an acronym for SUCCESS that has helped me over the years in thinking clearly about how to form plans and get things done. I can't remember who came up with it originally, but it wasn't me.

S - SELECT YOUR GOAL. You have to know where you're going. You have to be specific and describe exactly the outcome you are looking for. Vague goals usually go nowhere.

U - UNLOCK YOUR NEGATIVE THINKING. Often we self-sabotage our efforts because of our negative thinking. "I can't...it won't work...I'm not good enough." Look at the conversation going on in your head and see what kind of self-talk you've got going on. Focus on positive things like Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."

C - CHART YOUR COURSE. Outline the specific steps you need to take to get from point A to point B.

C- COMMIT YOURSELF. You have to know what this endeavor is going to cost you in terms of time, energy, money, etc. Jesus told people to count the cost of discipleship (Luke 14:28-33). That principle applies in other areas, too.

E - EXPECT PROBLEMS AND DIFFICULTIES. Nothing is ever easy, so don't be surprised when things don't go perfectly. Don't let that throw you off your game.

S - SACRIFICE YOURSELF. If something is really important to you it will probably require sacrifice. This is more than just counting the cost. This is the investment of your soul.

S - STICK WITH IT. Persistence, endurance - both are necessary to success. It may be a long journey. Don't give up. Take the next step. Keep going.

Jeff

Use this passage to meditate on today.

Proverbs 2:6-8

For the LORD gives wisdom;

from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
He holds success in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.