“God Wants You to Succeed” – by Charles Stanley
What Is Success?
The world most often defines the term as simply one’s ability to achieve personal goals. Instead, we must ask the question, What is it that would make God see me as a success? The world’s perspective fluctuates, but the Lord’s view is constant: to Him, my greatest achievement is a continuing desire to be the person He has called me to be and to reach the goals He has helped me to set. When we think of it this way, there is no doubt that God is interested in our success! Not only is He interested, but He intentionally encourages us to be triumphant. Scripture offers four proofs.
First, God plans for us to succeed. We see this in the lives of many men and women in the Bible. For example, do you remember the story of Joseph in Genesis chapters 37-50? By the world’s standards, he was doomed from the start. However, in everything Joseph did, God made him thrive. In those important chapters of Genesis, we see Joseph as a shepherd boy, then a slave, later as a prisoner, and ultimately as the prime minister of Egypt! Surely God had planned for the faithful servant’s good fortune, even during those years when all seemed hopeless.
Moses, David, Nehemiah, and Joshua all demonstrate this same kind of greater divine plan for distinction. And the apostles—they thrived in the first century and spread the good news of salvation around the world. Their mission must be considered a success, or we would have no churches or record of Jesus Christ at all. In each of these examples, people discovered what the Lord wanted them to do, committed their lives to it, followed godly principles, and achieved their goals. In the eyes of God, they were all successful!
Second, God provides for our success. The Bible contains every fundamental concept on success that I’ve ever read in any other book. Different authors may pluck an idea out of the Scriptures and write a book about it, but they didn’t create the principle.
Some authors may say success depends on faith in one’s self, while others point to belief in some “higher power.” But as followers of Jesus Christ, we can name that source of our strength: almighty God, who cares for us. You see, God alone is the author of success. Without Him, a person will ultimately know only failure—and in the meantime, perishable wealth at best.
Third, God equips us for success. He has provided what we need in order to be successful men and women. Every believer has been given certain abilities, or spiritual gifts. These are amazing endowments that enable us to do the things that God calls us to do.
The Lord has also equipped us by giving every believer the presence of His indwelling Spirit. The Holy Spirit brings us into intimate contact with the heavenly Father, empowers our daily lives, teaches us the things of God, and gives us His discernment.
In the power of the Holy Spirit, we have access to supernatural decision-making processes. You see, the Lord doesn’t set people up to fail. He would get no glory from that. Instead, He gives us what we need to be successful in what He has called us to do.
Fourth, God promises us success. You may argue, “Well, if God has promised me success, then somewhere along the way, He messed up.” No, He hasn’t. However, if we’re struggling to find any areas of accomplishment in our lives, it may be that we ourselves have gotten off course.
What did the Lord tell Joshua? He told him to be strong and courageous, to obey His Word, and to be careful to keep His commandments. And the result? “For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success” (Joshua 1:7-8). Do you see? The formula for success is right there in black and white in the pages of Scripture.
(by Dr. Charles Stanley excerpted from the February 2010 issue of In Touch magazine)
Reach your full potential!
In his newest book, Dr. Stanley outlines the essentials for living the kind of life God designed. They include having a clean heart, maintaining right relationships, using your God-given gifts wisely, and more.
February 05 2010 06:04 pm | Bible and Blog and Christianity and Church and Devotions/Devotionals and Faith and Family and God and Grace and Hope and Inspirational and Jesus and Life and Love and Mercy and Opinion and People and Personal and Philosophy and Quotes and Religion and Spiritual and Theology and Thoughts and Uncategorized
