Why The Holy Spirit Wants Us To Remember That Success in Human Terms is not as Important as Success in the Eyes of God
Illustration:The figure of the Crucified invalidates all thought which takes success for its standard.
Paul wrote,"My message was not set forth in persuasive (enticing)words of wisdom, but they were in demonstration of the Holy Spirit and power operating in me and stirring in the minds of my hearers the most holy emotions and thus persuading them. So that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men (human philosophy) but in the power of God." (I Cor. 2:4,5)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
1. The Holy Spirit teaches us that success in human terms is often subject to the relative values of peoples’ cultures. Jesus said, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his own soul." (Mark 8:36)
Example: When Jesus walked the dusty roads of Palestine, many people believed success could be measured by ones’ wealth, status or position of power. However, the Lord Jesus taught that even lowly fishermen like Peter, James and John were successful because they chose to surrender everything and follow the great fisher of men. (Matt. 4:19) Ask the Lord for greater discernment, commitment and trust in the God who has the last say on who is successful.
Illustration:Someone once asked Paul Harvey, the journalist and radio commentator, to reveal the secret of his success. "I get up when I fall down," said Harvey.
Bits & Pieces, March 3, 1994, p. 16.
2. The Holy Spirit teaches us that success in human terms is often fleeting, with time. The Lord Jesus said to the disciples, "When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up? Twelve, they replied. And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up? They answered, ’Seven.’ He said to them, ’Do you still not understand?" (Mark 8:19-21)
Example: The disciples thought that success lay in an event rather than in the person of Jesus Christ. Ask the Lord to help you find your success in Jesus Christ - worshipping Him, loving Him, and doing all of His will for His greater glory - therein is eternal success. Paul knew WHOM he had believed and was convinced of eternal rewards.
Illustration:George MacDonald said, "In whatever man does without God, he must fail miserably or succeed more miserably"
Warren W. Wiersbe, The Integrity Crisis, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1991, p. 42.
3. The Holy Spirit teaches us that success means little unless it is lasting. Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." (Mark 13:31)
Application: Ask the Lord to help you gain a greater eternal perspective on your relationships, your ministries and your opportunities to make a everlasting success today.
Illustration;When James Garfield (later President of the U.S.) was principal of Hiram College in Ohio, a father asked him if the course of study could be simplified so that his son might be able to go through by a shorter route. "Certainly," Garfield replied. "But it all depends on what you want to make of your boy. When God wants to make an oak tree, He takes a hundred years. When He wants to make a squash he requires only two months."
We are producing too many squashes and not enough oak trees in our day.
Angus J. MacQueen.
4. The Holy Spirit teaches us that human success is ultimately unsatisfying. The Lord Jesus realized that real success is only given from the Father’s supernatural power. Jesus said, "All power and authority have been GIVEN to me." (Matt. 28:18-20)
Application: Ask the Lord to help you lift your perspectives above those of our human nature. Beseech the Lord to help you demonstrate that eternal success is something that is given in terms of qualitative and quantitative spiritual and ministry fruit. Jesus said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied." (Matt. 5:8)
Illustration:In his book Be Free, Warren W. Wiersby mentioned the fact that young ministers often visited the great British preacher G. Campbell Morgan to ask him the secret of his success. When someone inquired of him what he told these aspiring pastors, Morgan replied, "I always say to them the same thing -- work; hard work; and again, work!" And Morgan lived up to his own advice. He would be in his study every morning at 6 o’clock, finding rich treasures out of his Bible to pass on to God’s people.
Our Daily Bread.
5. The Holy Spirit teaches us that human success is often accompanied by temptations that leads to greater worries, riches and troubles in this life. The Lord Jesus said, "Still, others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful." (Mark 4:18,19) Ask the Lord to help you overcome any temptations that will choke out the power of the word of God in your life thereby hindering you from yielding eternal fruit.
6. The Holy Spirit teaches us that human success is often pursued out of pride, selfish ambition and idolatry. Jesus knew that the rich young ruler thought he was successful, yet worried about his eternal destiny. Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then, come, follow me." (Matt. 19:21)
Application: Ask the Lord to help you not cling so tenaciously to your pride, selfish ambitions or idols that you miss out on the most important success found in Jesus Christ and His will for your life.
Example: Remember that Christ saw a listener like Mary as more successful than her hard working, but distracted sister Martha. (Luke 10:38-42)
7. The Holy Spirit teaches us that human success is ultimately unfufilling. The Lord Jesus said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied." (Matt. 5:6)
Application: Ask the Lord to help you develop a greater appetite for God’s righteousness, love, purpose, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control. He will provide you with more gratificaiton than you can get from anything.
8. The Holy Spirit teaches us that human success often runs counter to success in the eyes of God. Jesus said, "I have accomplished the work you have given me to do." (John 17:4)
Quote: Human success often makes one so preocuppied with earthly concerns that many people fail to accomplish God’s purposes for their life.
9. The Holy Spirit teaches us that human success is thought to come from hard work and intelligence. Jesus said, "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." (John 15:7,8)
Ask the Lord to help you realize that success comes more from trusting in the Lord rather than trying to succeed in your own power. Solomon wrote, "The blessings of the Lord makes one rich and He adds no sorrow to your wealth."
10. The Holy Spirit teaches us that eternal success is always judged inadequately by finite human minds. Jesus said, "Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven." (Matt. 6:1)
Application: Ask the Lord to let you humbly serve Him in sincerity and truth without worrying about how others will judge your performance. Only the Lord’s evaluations are completely impartial, true and everlasting. God is the only one who can give success without adding any sorrow to it.
Trust the Lord to help you succeed in growing in all aspects into Jesus Christ. (Eph. 4:15) That is where real blessings come from.
11. The Holy Spirit teaches us that eternal success is measured best by how obedient we are to the Father’s will. Jesus said, "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." (Luke 12:48)
Application: Ask the Lord to help you succeed by being filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding so that you can walk in a way that is pleasing to the Lord in ALL respects. Ask Him to help you bear fruit in every good work while you increase in the knowledge of God. (Col. 1:9-11)
Trust God for eternal success instead of the temporary kind.
Conclusion:
Quote: To succeed in life you need not only initiative, but also finishiative. Only the Holy Spirit can give what we need both to will and to do of His good pleasure. (Phil. 2:13,14)
Zaida Jones Blaine in Chicago Tribune.
