Well, what is success to begin with? Is it
1. the looks of Claudia Schiffer?
2. the money of Bill Gates?
3. the fame of Madonna or Mick Jagger?
To be beautiful, rich and famous can't be all that there is to it, since Marylin Monroe had all of that and still committed suicide at the leafy age of 36. - Who knew of the demon that raged deep within her? - It is safe to assume that a truly successful person is not suicidal.
Well, to define success from the bible is simple.
It is spelled o-b-e-d-i-e-n-c-e.
Every human being is wanted by God and is commissioned with a specific, personal task which is in keeping with that person's gifts and abilities. A person's sense of self-worth is closely connected to his work, with men more so than with women. And God made us that way. You are supposed to derive great satisfaction from your occupation, for you are created for a purpose.
This is what the bible says:
The angel told Samson's mother that her son would be a conqueror of Philistines. To win wars was his task in life.
God told Jeremiah: before I formed you in your mother's womb I set you to be a prophet for the nations. (Jeremiah 1, 5.)
Gabriel told Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, that his son would be an evangelist like Elijah. (Luke 1, 15.)
And Gabriel told Mary that her special son would become king and saviour one day. (Luke 1, 32.)
Our tasks may be less world-moving, but we all are commissioned with one.
For many women this will mean that their life-satisfying, self-worth enhancing, divinely blessed top job is going to be a good mother and wife.
If God commits a task to you, he will also give you the power and the ability to fulfill it.
(The angel said to Mary in Luke 1, 37: "For nothing will be impossible with God." You can also translate this same sentence this way: "For no word from God will be powerless." The Greek word rhema means both thing and word.)
What God says you can do, you can do!
Romans 12, 3-6 says: "God has allotted to each a measure of faith. For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly."
Success is thus based upon obedience to God's will for your life.
He who fulfills God's plan will receive the neccessary money, ability, means and people to aid him.
Obey, and the impossible becomes possible.
To fulfill God's plan is fun. Even though the work may be hard at times, there is always a certain ease about it, for his yoke is light. On the other hand, if you haven't received a task from God, but have taken something on by yourself, it can be tough. Then you can easily get overwhelmed. In Psalms 127, 1f it says: "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it."
So you always have to ask yourself: why do I do what I do? Do I know God is in this? You need to stand on the foundation of firm faith.
Wrong goals to pursue would be:
1. Wanting to become rich. 1 Timothy 6, 9 says this leads to temptation, a snare and many hurtful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. Don't look at people as walking wallets. Rather endeavor to give people something useful in exchange for their bucks. Then you are worthy of all the money you make.
2. Coveting a position of prominence. Remember Simon in Acts 8, 19: he wanted to be counted among the spiritual stars in Samaria. He was even ready to pay for it. But Peter chided him and sent him away. A leader has to coordinate the needs and desires of his people. He has to seek the best for all of them. Jesus said, a leader is really a servant. As long as you are not able to put other people's best interest before your own, you are pretty much disqualified from any leadership position.
3. Seeking pleasure, having fun. The pursuit of happiness is a hard god. If fun is your main goal in life, your time on the job will seem like a prison term. And 40 hours of slammer every week is too much. Rather, get a job you can love. That will reduce your sentence, plus it will expand your fun time.
The only ones who can prevent us from succeeding are we ourselves!
Let that sink in for a moment.
Samson for instance, whose task was to free Israel from the Philistine yoke, was someone like that. His gifts and abilities were breathtaking, his calling was clear. But he loved women and song (and wine probably too) so much, that he died as a comparatively young man and in bitterness and shame. It seems that he never disciplined himself into pursuing God's call. Thus his lack of discipline did him in.
What about you? Are you pursuing God's call? Or are you busy in the world, finding excuses for not attending church this coming sunday? Are you lackadaisical in your approach to work? If so, success will flee from you. God does not bless lazy, haphazard, self-centered people.
King Saul was another called and anointed man of God. And in the beginning he accomplished mighty feats for the Lord. But before too long he started to mistrust members of his own team, namely David. His suspicions got the best of him, until he diverted his attention and his resources from chasing his enemies to chasing David, his friend. Persecuting David became such an obsession that he soon spent all his energies in trying to destroy him. In the end Saul died on the battlefield by the hands of those he should have conquered by the power of God. His problem was his suspiciousness.
What about you? Are you also distracted from your task (and your success) by constantly laying bare the faults of others? Are you trying to destroy a business rival? Are you suspicious of the able members on your staff?
Get a grip.
Rest in God.
He will put you over. He commissioned you, he will see you through. Nobody will be able to dislodge you or get the best of you if you follow God's plan. He will uphold you. Praise him for it.
John the Baptist was a powerful preacher, a man with a message. But when the time came, he didn't do what he himself had preached. For years he had told the people: "The Christ is coming! Follow him when he comes!"
But when Jesus arrived John did not follow him.
Many of his disciples did (such as Andrew, Peter, James and John), but John himself didn't.
After he had been thrown in prison and the Christ did in no wise act to get him out of it, John sent some disciples to Jesus, asking: "Are you the one? Or shall we look for someone else?" (Matthew 11, 3.) Jesus replies: "Go and report to John what you hear and see: the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who does not take offense at me."
John had obviously taken offense. In his eyes the Christ was not as impressive as he had expected. Instead of killing off sinners and heathen this Christ healed and preached peace for all who would believe. He even went in to publicans and sinners! Jesus did not act politically nor militarily. And now John was disillusioned.
Beware of disillusionment.
Are you greater than your assignment? Is it not grand enough in your eyes? And now you are frustrated? Is your church so full of ... humans? Not enough miracles? You know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you are doing what you are supposed to do, but not much seems to be happening?
Take heart.
Don't become disillusioned!
What would have happened, if John the Baptist would have become a disciple of Jesus like Peter or John? It is obvious from the words of the Lord about John that his character was superior to that of all other disciples. The Baptist would not have denied Jesus three times in one night. He was also a natural leader and a powerful evangelist.
I can well imagine John would have become the preacher at Pentecost and the first pastor of the congregation in Jerusalem. We have to remember: John was barely 30 years old when he died at the behest of Herod's wife. What if he had lived until age 80 or 90?
So: beware of disillusionment. In his own good time God will take you further. He would have taken John further, if the Baptist would have been obedient to his own message. Be faithful and fruitful. (And be sure you are where God wants you, of course.)
Well, time has slipped away from me today. I will pick this subject back up in the next edition of TN.
Be blessed for now,
your friend,
Gert Hoinle, Pastor
Copyright 2001 by Gert Hoinle