Successful living: What do you dream to be? You must dream to be a man or woman after God’s own heart!
Meaning of Success
- Achieving the end, not the means
Not money, etc. which are means not end.
- Hinduism – artha (material possessions), kama (pleasure), dharma (duty), moksha (liberation; moksha is final end)
- Aristotle would ask: why moksha? To be happy, would be the answer. Happiness. Everything points to happiness, but happiness doesn’t point to any other further state. It is the end. Health, wealth, and relationships are means to the happy life. Now according to Aristotle, happiness is not merely future but present since it is a state of life. It is not found at the end of the road but along the way, since life is continuous. In order to live happy lives, we must function properly. What is our proper function? He said it’s rational living – high morality. A person who lives a high moral life is happy and satisfied. It is so because the rational principle in his life governs the irrational principle or passions that stand against reason. There can be no moral choice if the irrational principle were not there. But, an immoral person is never satisfied because he doesn’t live the fully and properly functional life. E.g. a greedy man will never be satisfied, he craves more; a lustful man will crave for more lust; a jealous man can never be at peace. A moral man is always at peace with himself, because he is right. But this condition is not obtained in a single day; it is obtained through a long time of training, strengthening in the good choices, choosing the morally high objects, and giving oneself completely to truth to the end that it becomes impossible for the righteous man to do evil. The wicked, on the contrary, by choosing evil actions, forms evil habits, traits, and a disposition that cannot be reformed. He lives in a perpetual state of darkness and dissatisfaction. Question: Why should I be good if in the end we all go to the grave? Isn’t there a greater and lasting happiness, a fullness of life, beyond this?
- Bible – A successful life is that life that is lived in conformity with the law of God. We’re not talking about the letter of the law but the spirit of the law. For students at College, having a big ministry is not success. It is only a means to success. One can be successful in ministry and yet not succeed in his life. Jesus said “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his own soul?” John says “The world and its lusts pass away but he who does the will of God abides forever.” Therefore, Jesus said “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness” (both are involved) “and all these things (food, clothing, etc) shall be added unto you.” Because all these things are not the end of life. God never honors a great man; he honors an obedient servant. You have not functioned well until you have functioned well as a servant of God.
The Road to Success
We’ve seen Aristotle say that happiness is an end within the journey. There was a Greek lawgiver who said that we should only call a man happy after he is dead – that he lived a happy life. Well, that is real amazing for one who is dead cannot be seen as either happy or unhappy. Can you see the dead? But, let’s define this term “end”, since we’re using it in two ways: (1) the end of the journey of life, somewhere just before death (2) a goal that needs to be pursued and reached every moment of life. I want to be happy not in the distant future, but in the present. That can only be possible if I do the immediately right and proper thing now. Doing God’s will now.
That is the reason why Psalm 1:1 says “Happy is the man….” And verse 2 “But he meditates.. Law of God”.
So, don’t just think of the future, things like “I’ll do this after finishing College, or I’ll do it when I go to a different place.” Live it now. Obey God now. The better choices that you make now, the stronger and greater you grow in closeness to the blueprint of the Grand Architect.
Thus, it is both a journey and also a destiny.
Phase #1: The Resources for Journey
Story: Hagar and her son (Genesis 21:9-20)
We all need resources for journey. Hagar got two: bread and a bottle of water. But the Bible says that the water got over.
This is an example of human resources that are just not enough. Because, there are certain situations where they fail.
Ecc 7:20 Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth that does good, and sins not.
That is the reason why God didn’t want Adam and Eve to rely on the fruit of knowledge. He wanted them to rely on Him.
When Hagar cried, God opened her eyes: God’s resources are never far from you, only your eyes need to be opened.
2Pe 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
2Pe 1:4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
This is where the nations of the world fail: they grope in darkness (Acts 17:26,27).
Phase #2: The Road – Jesus Christ
John 14:6: I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
The Bible is very clear about the fact that there cannot be any righteousness apart from Christ, whether after Fall or before Fall. It is so because Jesus Christ as the Logos of God is the embodiment of divine will and truth. There is and can be no morality apart from Him. Justin Martyr, an early apologist, believed that it was this Logos that illuminated the philosophers like Plato and others who were able to talk about God and truth. The Bible says that the Spirit of Christ was revealing to the prophets things related to righteousness and Christ’s suffering to save the world.
The sin of Adam: rejection of Christ. By choosing the fruit of knowledge he refused the righteousness of Christ – he tried to make reason autonomous and self-definitive, which is impossible. This is moral depravity. That is the reason why Christ became the last Adam and the second Man to bring us back into union with Him. For in Adam all died; so, in Christ all will live – that is those who reject the autonomous false road of Adamic rebellion and bow their knees to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Therefore, He is also called Lord and Savior.
Milestones of Success:
Milestones tell us how far we’ve got.
- Conversion – Entry: Repentance, Belief, Commitment
- Obedience – knowing and doing His will. If He is Lord, we are servants.
A big church or name and fame is not success – Jesus never had a big church and never has a big following; the devil has more followers than Christ. It might even be possible that you suffer for righteousness’ sake and are all alone in some prison like Jeremiah or Paul were. It’s really excellent if we can save as many souls as possible (witnessing is God’s will); but remember that Saul or David were not rewarded for the battles they won, but for their submission to God’s will. Saul failed and became one of the most unhappiest man in the Bible. But that doesn’t mean that God never called him to fight the battles; it only means that these were not the qualifications for his being successful. Remember God forsook the Temple of Jerusalem when the Israelites disobeyed Him, though they thought that they were safe to do whatever they liked because of the temple there.
Knowing and doing God’s will is success. Are you faithful to His Word? Are you living a good and honorable life in the sight of God? Do you do the thing which Christ would do if in your situation; if not how can you say that you are in union with Him? You are in union with Adam or even the devil in their rebellion? Only the Son is absolutely obedient to the Father; therefore, there is no final walk of successful living apart from the life of the Son. Do we have His life in us?
Now, obedience is not always an easy thing. The Bible calls it godliness and says that it needs exercise like any physical exercise. With more exercise, you become stronger; with more practice, you become expert. Similarly, with each step of obedience and practice of God’s will, we become more mature and perfect.
1 Cor.2:1: The Corinthians were like babes, unable to understand what is right and wrong – so they had all kinds of fightings, competitions, controversies.
Hebrews. 5: Mature know how to differentiate between good and evil. Discernment of right and wrong comes by practice. A detective is an experience person – and because he knows many things, he is able to spot what evidence indicates what. Sherlock Holmes could tell which kind and when a cigar was smoked by looking at the ash. It requires training. We can only be wise when we give ourselves to learning and practicing. But, we don’t need to be over concerned: God’s Book of Law and His Holy Spirit are there to guide us.
Phase #3: The Result – Joy
Joh 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
Joh 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
Joy is the fruit of the Spirit which we have when we live according to the principles of the Kingdom of God.
Rejoice in the Lord always, can only be possible when we are “in the Lord.”
God bless!
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