Success or How to be Successful this Year

Many articles and seminars are created every year. They all promise steps to success. Does the Bible have anything to say about being successful?

BLESSED is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish. (Psalms 1:1-6, NKJV)

What is success? The main meaning has to do with reaching a goal.

Success can be for good things as health or lose weight. It can also be used for evil things as theft or manipulation (Psalm 37:7).

Being successful in light of eternity and in God's eyes depends on our goals. For the Christian the goals should be to glorify God and bear good fruit for Him. Some of this fruit is mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23).

Some steps for reaching these goals are:

1. Have as your friends and the people you hang around with are not ungodly, scornful sinners (Psalm 1:1). In 1 Kings 12:10 King Rehoboam sought advice how and what to answer the question from the people about taxes. The older men gave advice to lower the burden they must carry (lower their taxes) while the young men replied that they should increase them. There was a civil war resulting in the division of Israel into Israel and Judah. One can only know who is an ungodly sinner by knowing the rules that the Lord Jesus gave. Scornful people are those who mock God and His ways of living.


2. Bible study. This is not just reading the Bible every day but thinking about what each word means and how it applies. Read the Bible, look up words through their Strong's number, think about each word in its context emphasizing it as you think about it, and then apply it to your life. The Blue Letter Bible cite can help you in your study.


3. Prayer. Every day take 5 minutes to pray thanking God for the good things He has done, asking for the needs of others, and asking for wisdom for whatever decisions you need to make that day.


4. Forgive. We must forgive others the wrongs they have done. Forgiving someone does not mean that they will never be punished but is placing that person in God's hands to hopefully repent or else punish, and His punishment is always just right. The Lord Jesus was praying that His Father would forgive Jesus's enemies while Jesus was suffering on the cross (Luke 23:34).


5. Show, live, talk, think the ways of God. Our thoughts, desires, words, and deeds to all should be of the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).