God Wants His People to Be Successful Bul 42

Abe Miller, Senior Minister
Thu Nov 13 11:50:36 MST 2008

                    The real problem when we talk about success is that God has a different idea as to what constitutes success than what man understands success to be. So how do you define success? In general, man would define success with the attainment of one  of the following:

¨ Power— having authority over a number of people.

               ¨  Prestige—being famous and well known.                                                                                                                                       

               ¨  Position—achieving the executive level.

               ¨  Popularity—being well liked by the majority

               .¨  Possessions—having everything money can buy.

               ¨  Pleasure— having that which brings immediate pleasure to body and mind.

                  Are these true indicators of success? How long do these things last? Is there any eternal value in these things? The fact is, in many cases, the ones who possess one or more of the things listed above are often the most miserable.

               The 19th century Bible scholar G. S. Bowes pointed out the ultimate futility of ambition that isn’t accompanied by dedication to God. Citing four powerful world rulers of the past, he wrote:

¨     Alexander the Great was not satisfied, even when he had completely subdued the nations.  He wept because there were no more worlds to conquer, and he died at an early age in a state of debauchery.

                   ¨ Hannibal, who filled three bushels with the gold rings taken from the knights he had slaughtered, committed suicide by swallowing poison. Few noted his passing, and he left the earth completely un-mourned.

                  ¨ Julius Caesar, staining his garments in the blood of one million of his foes, conquered 800 cities, only to be stabbed by his best friends at the scene of his great triumph. 

¨ Napoleon, the feared conqueror, after being the scourge of Europe, spent his last years, in banishment.

                 ¨ Lee Iacocca, stated this human malady well in his book, Straight Talk: “Here I am    in the twilight years of    my life, still wondering what it’s all about. I can tell you this, fame and fortune is for the birds.”

               God revealed the true definition of success to His servant Joshua: “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” (Joshua 1:8)

               Joshua saw his material success through the lens of his relationship with God. When we see success as Joshua saw it, we too can have true success.