Success

When I first started this podcast I wanted it to be a success.

I knew in my heart that if just one person listened, and grew in Christ then it was time well spent.

Over the next few weeks we are going to talk about success and what it means to be successful.

We’re not going to focus on worldly achievements. What we are going to talk about is how to be a success for the kingdom. You need to ask yourself, is my character growing every day in a way that aligns with God’s Word and plan for my life? That should be the way we measure success as a Christian.

So let’s define eight virtues or characteristics that should be a part of any successful person.

These are just bullet points and we will talk in more detail each week on them. You might want to take some notes.

First,  we need to put our trust in God and his plan for our life.

Going it alone is always a struggle and leaves us without a sense of fulfillment and purpose. 

Humility should be the next thing we strive for.

Just because you’re meek it doesn’t mean you’re weak. Many great figures in history were some of the most humble men you’d ever meet.

Another characteristic we need is courage.

It takes courage to be a Christian. We need to be bold and not waiver no matter what the world throws at us. Our faith should precede us when we walk into a room. We should be ready to share our faith and our testimony with anyone at any time.

The fourth thing that should be a part of a successful person is integrity.

Without it no one can ever take you seriously. If your mantra is what would Jesus do, then whoever you interact with, will know before you speak, where you stand. They will see Christ in you.

The next thing every person needs is fellowship.

It was never God’s plan for us to walk alone. Jesus made fellowship a core part of His ministry and so should we.

The sixth virtue is kindness.

Our heart needs to be softened to the needs of others. A hardened heart will never look beyond itself. It will only seek to please itself.

Thankfulness is another step on our journey to success.

We didn’t get to where we are in our walk by ourselves, and acknowledging that keeps us from becoming prideful.

Last but not least is wisdom.

Not the wisdom that comes with age, but the wisdom that comes from the holy Spirit. Our Bibles are just an academic endeavor without Him. All the wisdom we need can be found in the pages of God’s word. But without the leading of the holy Spirit it has no meaning in our lives.

Today we are going to talk about trusting God and how that is at the core of our success in our walk with Him.

But how far does our trust go? Our success is directly tied to our faith in God. Anything short of total surrender to His will for our lives is an exercise in futility. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to get over that first hurdle. That first time that adversity stared you in the face and you put your complete trust in God. Totally surrendering your will. Once you get past that first hurdle, your confidence and trust in Him will grow by leaps and bounds.

Proverbs 3:5-6 trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. in all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.

Let me just say, God is not a liar. 

Your faith is definitely not misplaced if you trust in Him. His promises are good and true. You can take it to the bank. He means what he says. 

We’ve all had friends in our lives that we trusted, and at some point in that relationship they were less than truthful with us.  A man is only as good as his word, but God’s word never fails. The following scripture makes that readily apparent.

Numbers 23:19

God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

God’s word is rock solid and he will not bend or waiver to the will of men. So if you’re God is okay with your sinful lifestyle then you’re worshiping the wrong God. 

Another characteristic that should build on our trust in God is that 

God is Omniscient – He Is All-Knowing. 

Nothing is hid from Him.  A.W. Tozer writes this about God’s omniscience: “God perfectly knows Himself and, being the source and author of all things, it follows that He knows all that can be known. And this He knows instantly and with a fullness of perfection that includes every possible item of knowledge concerning everything that exists or could have existed anywhere in the universe at any time in the past or that may exist in the centuries or ages yet unborn.”

Because he is all knowing we can trust and believe that he knows everything we’re going through. If we meditate on this attribute of Him our trust in Him will grow.

Psalm 139:1‭-‬4 ESV

O Lord , you have searched me and known me!  You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.  You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.  Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord , you know it altogether.

Before you even open up your mouth God knows what’s going to come out of it. He knows because the Holy Spirit has been convicting you before you even uttered the first syllable. If we are trusting in the Spirit then we need not worry about our speech. 

Romans 8:5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

Next it is important to be aware of God’s omnipresence 

To be omnipresent is to be in all places at all times.The fullness of his presence is all around us. 

It should give us great comfort to know that we are never alone. As Tozer once said, “He is closer than our thoughts.” You can’t get much closer than that. 

Let’s look at,

Psalm 139:7-10 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?   If I ascend to heaven, you are there!  If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!  If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,  even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.

Not only is He with us but he’s leading us and holding us. That’s the kind of God I want to trust in. I don’t want to trust a god that’s going to leave me  to my own devices. A god that’s not active in my life. 

Deuteronomy 31:8 says, the Lord himself goes before you and will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged.

He is going on ahead of you. He is clearing the path for you. Even though he goes on ahead, He has not left you alone. He has not forgotten about you. So don’t give up, this is a God you can trust.

The last characteristic of God that we’re going to talk about is that He is omnipotent.

That is, he is all powerful. We can do nothing in our own strength. But, if we are in Christ, that supernatural power is available to us. How can we not be a success for the kingdom when we have the power of our Lord and Savior with us?

Paul made this declaration in

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.

The apostle Paul could say that because he was doing the will of the Father. If we are walking in our own strength we will always fall short. We will have a life that’s lacking and unfulfilled. It is only when we surrender our will to Him that we can find the strength we need, to fulfill His will for our lives.

There are so many other attributes of God that we could expound on. His grace, His mercy, His love, his justice, just to mention a few. But, the point is, this is a God to place all your trust in . This is a God that will always be with you. This is a God that knows you better than you know yourself. This is a God that has the power to see you through all your trials.

So as we close today just remember if you want to be a success as a Christian it all starts with trust.