What Does Success Mean to You?

Success can mean many things to different people. For some it is marrying the “right” person, having beautiful kids, acquiring wealth, or being popular. For others it means being recognized and appreciated for one’s talents, whether they be in music, arts, sports, or another field.
Young women often pursue success in relationships and the search for security, while young men often look for success through significance and recognition or approval from others. If we’re honest with ourselves, we may hold one of these common views about success. Regardless of how we define it, people spend much of their time, attention, energy, and effort pursuing success. And, can become very discouraged along the way or even lose hope if we think we’ve failed.

In the record of King David, he counsels his son, Solomen thusly, "I go the away of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man; And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself. (1 Kings:2) You might note that David did not counsel his son on increasong his wealth and power, enlarging his kingdom, or beating his enemies. Rather, he focused his guidance toward following God's plan and being honorable to his word!

Again from ancient scripture we are taught, "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit."

Jesus addressed the meaning of success, as well. In Luke chapter 12 He taught, " Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?..............For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye first the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you."

Now, it is not my purpose here to be "preachy". If you follow any of the successful motivational experts over the years, you will realize the each of them communicates a faith and beief in God's Word for man! If your purpose in achieving "SUCCESS" is focused on God's purposes, you will fin dsuccess in your life!