Psalms 32:8: ” I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go: I will guide you with My eye.”
Last week I presented the question, “Are you made for success?” And hopefully after the post you pondered that question before the Lord, and determined that, “YES! I am made for success!”
But another question often arises and that is, “What is success, really?”
I hesitate bringing it up because I have seen tempers fly over this one… which is really just an indication that indeed, we all want to be successful, and when we perceive that desire to be threatened, well… we get kind of touchy!
Another reason for the defensiveness is… as much as we might desire success, we also have a fear of it … and while we might fear success, we also fear failure!
Quite a catch 22! No wonder there are so many of us who are stuck in limbo!
Recently I had a discussion with my son about success because he was clearly frustrated. For him, success was the “A+,” the 100%, being at the top of the heap, and staying there. So, whenever things didn’t work out as he thought they should, he wore a big “F” on his forehead.
This mindset prohibited him from seeing what he had gained and contributed in each instance. It made him feel like God wasn’t there for him, and that created more doubt and insecurity. Over a lifetime, this kind of perception can cause a person to just stop trying, hide away in bitter cynicism, or do something rash because of the frustration it causes.
Maybe you’ve experienced this same dynamic?
Well, after seeking the Lord about what success is, He brought me to some surprising conclusions! “Success,” as used in the scriptures, isn’t the same as we typically think!
Isn’t true that when we think of success we think in terms of accomplishing something, like “get ‘er done?” Or we think of wealth or material gain or position? God is not opposed to that at all, and truly, Deuteronomy 8:18 says that we have been given the power to get wealth so He may establish His covenant through us. Please do not be double minded about this!
But as I read all 63 times the Hebrew word (sakal) for success is used, it is clear that there is a depth and richness to the word, that if we grasped it, we would charge for it. (If you want this list of scriptures, just email me.) Given this definition, we can ALL be successful.
So…. what is it?
To succeed is to be instructed by the Lord and thus, think and act wisely, wittingly, and with true understanding! It is NOT necessarily a goal point, a destination, or the achievement of something (though results are a good thing!).
Success is the PROCESS of hearing from the Lord, being instructed by Him, understanding His heart, knowing His call FOR YOU, (stop comparing yourself to others!) and then going forth confidently in wisdom, understanding, skill and strategy, picking up more as you go.
Now, I am all for results. In fact, the Lord has made me more results oriented than I’ve ever been. But my success is not determined by my results. Indeed, my results flow out of my success.
I am reassured and comforted by the fact, that when I come to the Lord, sit with Him, and seek Him for His heart, mind, agenda, love, and the favor to fulfill what He wants to do through me, I can KNOW without doubt, that I am already a success.
Can I challenge you? If you are not having regular times of sitting with the Lord, dialoguing with Him, and feeling His heart beat for you, do yourself a huge favor! Ask Him to help you do it. You will be so enriched, empowered, and elevated… and that is His will for you!
Next week, let’s talk about how to seek Him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For those of you who are interested in starting your own business or already have one… Mark you calendars! November 30, 9 pm EST, I will be interviewed on an internet TV show, www.CelebrityCreators.com, where I will be discussing, “The Essential Mindset for Christian Entrepreneurs.” We’re going to tackle some daunting issues that hold Christians back from going forward in their purpose and what kind of mindset is necessary to meet all the challenges that accompany business. I’d love it if you joined us!
