| “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” |
| —Proverbs 16:3 |
Most ambitious individuals look for some almost magical key to success. Some motivational books will insist such a key consists of a carefully crafted, frequently reviewed, and modified-as-necessary strategic plan. Other motivational sources insist that success comes from determined hard work. Still other such books will claim that it’s who you know and the alliances you form that will guarantee a person’s success.
This is not at all the way that a follower of Jesus should look at success. First and foremost, the very definition of the word “success” takes on a new meaning for a child of God. Success, in terms of God’s ambassadors, must become defined in the terms that relate to our role of stewards.
I’ve shared many times on this blog that a steward is a slave elevated to a position of responsibility in his or her Master’s Kingdom. Still a bond slave (see Deuteronomy 15), such a person invests all of himself or herself into actions that will benefit the Master’s hopes, dreams, desires, and wishes. It is a calling to absolute obedience and total commitment. King Solomon expressed this sentiment well, when he wrote these words found in Proverbs 16:3:
Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.
This instruction does not mean:
“When you begin a task, pause for a moment, pray, and ask God’s blessing on your self-appointed task.”
Quite to the contrary, this wise saying indicates that we must, first of all, know exactly what our Master desires. We learn this by reading, studying, and meditating on His written Word, the Bible. Next, we must clearly recognize our part and His part. We cannot serve Him alone. That’s why He gave us the in-dwelling power of the Holy Spirit. Working under the leadership and guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can proceed to obediently follow the pathway laid out before us and accomplish for God what He intends.
As we begin a new day, let’s not lose sight of the fact that God wants us to achieve success—as He defines that word. He wants us to reap the benefit of our obedient service to Him and to His Kingdom. So, let’s rejoice that He has loved us enough to make us a part of His effort to free the world from sin, death, and Satan.
