2018-04-19
Deuteronomy 31:6 NKJV
Any time you attempt something for the first time, or something you’ve failed at before, or something you think is too big for you, you’ll experience both fear and faith. They go together. One will win out over the other, but they never go away. Because Israel had no idea what challenges awaited them or what life would be like in the Promised Land, God told them, “Be strong and of good courage…for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” And today that’s His promise to you too! It’s fear of failure that stops us most of the time. Yet as you look back, you realize that most times failure doesn’t do permanent damage at all; you actually grow through it. Dr. Joan Borysenko writes: “When I was admitted to Harvard, I was sure there had been a computer error and I’d be exposed as a fraud. A lawyer friend of mine stops short of terror every time she has to give a final argument before a jury. Even when you’re an expert, fear doesn’t necessarily go away. It’s accepting fear as part of the journey instead of running from it, that helps you to conquer it.” To go anywhere, you must launch out from somewhere, or you’ll get nowhere. American essayist Hamilton Wright Mabie said, “The question for each man to settle is not what he would do if he had the means, time, influence, and educational advantages, but what he will do with the things he has.” So confront your fear, step out in faith, and believe God for success.
Soul food: Acts 6-7; Mark 3:20-27; Ps 75; Prov 10:22-23
2017-12-07
2 Chronicles 31:21 CEV
Here are seven scriptural steps to success in life: (1) Put God first. He wants you to succeed; what good parent wouldn’t? So work on your relationship with Him. “Acquaint now thyself with him…thereby good shall come unto thee” (Job 22:21). (2) Help others to become successful. “Whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:8). Don’t just be interested in yourself, become interested in others too. (3) Create a climate of confidence around you. As long as you keep speaking words of doubt, you’ll never experience victory. Remind yourself that your “sufficiency is of God” (2 Corinthians 3:5 KJV). (4) Stay informed. “A wise man will hear and increase in learning” (Proverbs 1:5 NAS). Observe, read, and grow. If you’re willing to pay money for a good meal but not for a good book, perhaps you value your appetite more than your intellect. (5) Visualize yourself attaining your goal. Think and talk in success pictures. Moses did that: “He had his eye on the One no eye can see, and kept right on going” (Hebrews 11:27 TM). (6) Write down your plan and establish deadlines. Make a detailed list of required activities, and set checkpoints. Guard your mind and prioritize your time. “Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get” (Ephesians 5:16 TM). (7) Set a realistic goal. And work toward it one priority at a time. Many things in life fail for one reason – broken focus. So avoid distractions: “A double minded man is unstable” (Jas 1:8). If you do these seven things, you’ll succeed in life.
Soul food: Gen 37-39; John 16:1-15; Ps 148:1-6; Ecc 5:1-3
2017-10-07
Proverbs 18:24 NAS
With few exceptions, your success in life depends on your ability to establish and maintain relationships with the right people. According to a report by the American Management Association the overwhelming consensus of two hundred managers who participated in a survey, was that the most important skill of an executive is his or her ability to get along with people. They rated this ability as more vital than intelligence, decisiveness, knowledge, or job skills. Quite frankly, none of us makes very many true friends in life – at least, we better not! Solomon warns, “A man of too many friends comes to ruin.” Friendship requires time, energy, sacrifice, and investing yourself. And not every so-called friend will prove to be one, as Jeremiah warned King Zedekiah: “They misled you and overcame you – those trusted friends of yours. Your feet are sunk in the mud; your friends have deserted you” (Jeremiah 38:22 NIV). The wrong friend will betray you, as Judas proved with Jesus. So here’s a good rule of thumb: “Be friendly to everyone, but don’t have everyone as a friend.” Solomon said, “The godly give good advice to their friends; the wicked lead them astray” (Proverbs 12:26 NLT). Charles Spurgeon said, “A man is known by the company he shuns, as well as the company he keeps.” The Hebrew word for “choose” is tur, and in the Old Testament it refers to a man like a surveyor who searches out land. So if you’re wise, you’ll explore and evaluate your friendships before you enter into them. You say, “But I’m lonely.” As George Washington said, “It is better to be alone than in bad company.”
Soul food: Exo 10-12; John 1:14-28; Ps 131; Prov 26:7-9
2017-09-16
Proverbs 23:7 NIV
With practice, you can become a good thinker. Observe two things: (1) Good thinkers have foresight. “The plans of the diligent lead to profit” (Proverbs 21:5 NIV). The word diligent means “to work, study, and plan.” You don’t stumble into success and figure it out afterward. Whether you’re in business or ministry, your level of success will increase dramatically if you place a high value on good thinking. Novelist Victor Hugo wrote, “A small man is made up of small thoughts.” People who don’t practice good thinking usually find themselves at the mercy of circumstances – or other people’s thoughts. Unable to solve problems, they find themselves facing the same obstacles over and over. And because they don’t think ahead they’re habitually in reaction mode. An old German proverb says, “Better an empty purse than an empty head.” Good thinkers overcome difficulties, including lack of resources, that often leave poor thinkers at the mercy of good thinkers. In As a Man Thinketh, James Allen says, “All that a man achieves or fails to achieve, is a direct result of his thoughts.” Do you believe that? If you do, you’ll place a high value on good thinking and make it a priority in your life. (2) Good thinkers look for the best, not the worst. They live by this scriptural principle: “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things” (Philippians 4:8 NIV).
Soul food: Mic 5-7; Mark 13:12-23; Ps 19; Prov 24:19-22
2017-08-29
James 5:11 CEV
Observe these six things about persistence: (1) You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great. (2) The first two letters in the word goal are “go.” (3) Some people dream of doing great things; others wake up and actually do them. (4) Anybody who brags about what they’re going to do tomorrow, probably did the same thing yesterday. (5) You’ll never be what you ought to be, until you’re doing what you ought to be doing. (6) If you’re having trouble thinking outside the box, it’s time to get out of the box. When Lester Wunderman was fired from his advertising job, he felt he still had a lot to learn from the head of the agency, Max Sackheim. So the next morning he went back to his office and continued working as he always had, talking to co-workers and clients, and sitting in on meetings – all without pay. Sackheim ignored him for a month. Finally he walked up to Wunderman and said, “Okay, you win. I never saw a man who wanted a job more than he wanted money.” Well, guess what? Wunderman went on to be one of the most successful advertising men of the century. He’s credited with having invented pre-printed newspaper inserts, plus subscription cards like those used by Time-Life Books and the Columbia Record Club – ideas that produced millions of dollars in profit. Now, advertising may not be your thing, but action must be. What are you willing to do to achieve your dream? Work without pay? Refuse to quit? Success belongs to those who trust God – and stick with it.
Soul food: 3 John; Jude; Mark 8:27-38; Ps 84; Prov 22:24-26
