Successful…wealthy, affluent, prestige and position.
This might translate into…owning your own business or making at
least a six figure or higher salary. Which in turn provides you with the
opportunity to have a big house, new car, latest clothes, private school for the kids, money in the bank, good retirement fund, vacation of choice every year, and great health and dental insurance.
Everyone in the house has at least two
electronic devices and when it’s cold outside your home is always warm and when
it’s hot outside, your home is always cool. You are able to employ people to
clean your house, take care of the pool and landscaping. In today’s society,
you can easily have a personal shopper, chef and driver with the tap of a phone
App, if you have the money.
What you just read is the World’s standard of
successful. And it all has to do with money.
In fact you can scratch everything you just read as far as it pertaining
to what a successful Christian’s life is. I’m not saying there aren’t wealthy,
affluent and rich Christians—because there are plenty! But it still doesn’t
mean they are living a successful Kingdom life.
Also I hope you will not be too disappointed in my misleading
title…there are no 5 Steps! But this is really good news.
It’s a writing ploy to draw you in. In fact, I really don’t
like books which have steps to God or prayer, or too much more. If you search
the Bible, you will see—there’s no such thing as steps to God. So, please
forgive me for toying with you this morning. I just couldn’t resist. ~Smile~
A successful Christian life, takes work and making Jesus, Lord
of your life.
Yup. That’s it!
No aptitude test. No internship. No college tuition or
finical debt required. No hoops to jump through. No unreasonable demands you
must adhere too and nothing that will test your integrity or put you in harm’s
way.
Wow! We only have to make one more decision beyond
salvation…Lordship.
Let’s say there’s a particular college you have your eye on and
it promises you will have great success in whatever field you choose, if you earn
a degree with them. You believe them, so you beg, borrow and beg some more to get this degree. Some would
forsake family and friends and work a second job to make it happen. And if it
takes you five years versus the average four…that’s okay too. You have a
promise—your hard work and money are going to pay off—big time!
Now on the other hand, Jesus says, “If you love me you will
obey my commands.” “Love the Lord God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength.”
“They will know you belong to me by the way you love one another.” “Love your
neighbor as you love yourself.” And the big payoff for making Him Lord, and
obeying His commands…we have the promise of knowing His voice and being counted
as sheep on Judgment Day!
We are also assured peace on this earth that surpasses all
understanding. But He instructs we must first forgive those who abuse and
mistreat us. In fact, He takes it one step further and says we have to pray for
them. And in doing this we have the promise that God will forgive us, just as
we forgive others.
Our Lord is also big on us helping others. In fact, He will
reward us generously because when we feed the hungry, visit the sick, clothe
the naked and visit those in prison…we have done it for Him. (Well, as long as
He is Lord in our lives we do it for Him.) Wow! Are you getting excited about
this?
God also promises to supply all that we have need of through the
Messiah—our Lord! And Peter gives us the secret to contentment—we can do all
things through Christ who is our strength!
James lets us know that if we lack wisdom—all we have to do
is ask God. And He is going to not only give us the wisdom we need, but He’s
going to lavish us with it!
And all we have to do to acquire all of this and more is to read
and study the Bible...at our leisure. Yet
so many of us don’t.
We will turn our lives upside down for four years or more to
get a title and piece of paper man says has value. But, we don’t see the value
in spending just 30 minutes a day perusing what it is our Lord, says we must do
to be successful as a Believer.
This is why so many in the Body are sad and downtrodden
about life.
Yes! Life is hard! But, we are still to be victorious and
triumphant! We are to be light to this sad, sinful dark world. But it is
impossible to entice others to our Savior, when they don’t see Him in a good
light, in us.
You see sisters, a successful Christian life is one where
life is hard, but you don’t lose faith in God! It’s when people know you are
going through a difficult time, but see you continue to have a joy and peace
about you. Or when they hear of some tragedy or experience you encountered, but
never knew what you were going through, because you were always joyous!
God’s joy and peace does not mean we will always walk around
laughing, grinning and smiling all the time. But it does mean we won’t be a
poor example of God’s empowering grace, love and faithfulness. It’s the peace
the bible says, we will have…in the natural it will surpass all human
understanding. That’s the power of God.
Anything you are experiencing in your life today…there is a
solution in the Bible. But we must first makeup our mind, to believe that it
is. And I tell you it is, because I’m a living witness!
It has taken years for me to get to the place of confidence
I have in the Lord and His faithfulness today. But the day, I made Jesus; LORD…was
the day things really changed for me. It didn’t take away the troubles I had or
the consequences I had to suffer for my sin and dissidence. No. But it opened
the doors for me to stop making poor decisions, forgiveness, healing (physically,
emotionally and spiritually), confidence and hope. But most of all, I finally
know who I am, based on who God says I am. I know that there is purpose to my
life. And when things come up (which trust they are), I no longer panic and
worry about what I’m going to do? Or question if God is there or still loves
me.
I know He does.
Also sisters, the more time we spend with God and focus on
living a life to please Him, the more we are prepared when life unscripted
shows up. The more you are at peace knowing God is working it together for
His good—somehow.
I purposely didn’t give the scripture references to the
things I shared from the Bible. If you know them fine. But if you don’t, I gave
key words for you to look them up and read it for yourselves.
2 comments:
Had to look up "finical" another way of saying Finicky. Debt is indeed finical - as we rob Peter to pay Paul. I don't know how much money I have spent on books to help me on my journey - not that they were bad investments - but I find it so hard to sit down and read them. This keeps things simple and to the point. Trust and obey. Thanks Ponnie for sucking me in and making me grow!
Thank you Marcia, for being open and honest about your journey! As women and sisters-in-Christ, we all share so many common threads. And once we realize we are not alone in our struggles, it empowers and encourages us to move upward and onward! Ponnie
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