“Where Does Success Come From?”
Did you ever stop and ask yourself, “Where does success come
from?” If you haven’t, let me encourage you to do so. Where
does success come from? We can think of many factors that
contribute to the making of a success, and it’s certainly
true that success leaves tracks, distinctive
characteristics. We can emulate the successful. We can do
what successful people do and avoid, as best we can, what
failures do. Knowing what the successful do and doing
likewise is a powerful ingredient to success.
But, where does success itself come from? If we only watch
what successful people do and only follow their example, we
might be attempting to live their life of success rather
than celebrating our own success. It’s important that we
find and enjoy success in our own life, in our own unique
way with our individual contribution to others.
When I ask, “Where does success come from?” I am driven back
to a source of success where I can explore my own
relationship with this thing called success. What I find at
the source of success is a God who wants to bless me in
order that I might bless others. Success is not about me.
Success is all about finding who I am in relationship to
him. I know God has a wonderful plan in mind for me. I find
it as I cease thinking about myself and think about how I
can make a positive difference for others. The prophet
Jeremiah, declaring the word of God, said it like this, “I
will bless you with a future filled with hope—a future of
success, not of suffering. You will turn back to me and ask
for help, and I will answer your prayers” (Jeremiah
29:11-12, Contemporary English Version).
When I come to the source of success I find a loving God who
wants to bless. As I find myself enjoying Him for who he is,
I discover a life of true success. It’s then that I realize
something very important:
I realize that at the source of success I find a
relationship. The relationship I’m talking about is with
God. Unless I know the Creator, how can I know what I’m
created for? I can be successful at many things by applying
myself and disciplining myself. Yet, nothing is worse than
becoming very efficient at that which is unnecessary. I may
find a measure of success, but if my ladder of success is
leaning against the wrong wall, I’ve wasted my life in a
vain pursuit of temporal success.
You see, the only thing I can take with me to eternity is my
relationship with God. Getting that right leads to lasting
success in other areas because I can now become what He
wants me to become. And, it’s in becoming that bigger and
better person that I find a life of true success. Certainly,
I meet with failures along the journey. But in Jesus Christ,
I know a way to deal with my shortcomings. I find that it’s
in a relationship with His one and only son, Jesus Christ
that all things “come together.”(See Colossians 1:17)
This past week I presided at the funeral of a dear lady who
had lived a good, long life. Her family gave me her journal
to read. Among the many interesting notes, I found her
recollections of her sixty-eight years with her husband. In
writing of their hard work and trying times together she
wrote, “We walked side by side, (and) enjoyed all the walk.”
Then, after asking where all the time went, she made this
telling comment, “We didn’t have much. But after all, we had
everything. We had our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” I
don’t know what her assets were at her time of death. It
doesn’t really matter now. Her most important asset was a
relationship with Christ and a life lived as best she knew
how for Him. That’s true success.
So, how can you find that relationship? As I already
mentioned, you can find it in Jesus Christ. He wants to
bring meaning and purpose to your life.
Let me challenge you to do several things to deepen your
relationship with God and discover God’s good plans of
success for you.
First, spend five to ten minutes three or four times this
week in quiet contemplation. Reflect on who Jesus is. A
great place to begin is in the Gospel of John. It’s in
what’s called the New Testament of the Bible. Try reading
John chapters three through six.
Second, write on paper, what you think God can do through
your unique talents and gifts to help others become all God
intends them to be. How might you serve others?
Third, share your thoughts with a friend. Make sure it’s
someone who is positive and encouraging.
Fourth, put one of your ideas into action. See what happens.
And don’t give up if at first you don’t succeed!