What Is Real Success?

Dr. Mike Business & Faith, Kingdom Paradigms , , , ,
“Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.” Proverbs 3:3-8 ESV

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What is real success?  Some say the accomplishment of a goal. Others say a healthy life. Others a caring family. Than others add financial independence, recognition from one’s peers, or the power to do whatever you want. Yet what does God say real success is? Is real success something you make happen or is it a gift?

Like teenagers sowing their wild oats is how humanity generally functions with God. We are the prodigal child or the son who remains home (Luke 15:11-32). We believe we need to venture out and satisfy all our internal desires. Or we need to stay home and live by all the rules. In so doing we believe we shall become successful. Yet for most, only through the trials, tests, and challenges that this life takes us through do we eventually realize that Father God has a better way to live. Only then do we repent, return, and seek after God.

Without God, we try to imitate success. We wear high fashion cloths. We sell our soul for work that pays the most money. We buy material goods that we believe will make us more satisfied. We play extreme sports to battle the demons of fear. We hang around people who we label as successful. We more or less pursue the outer trappings of success. But we fail to capture the real success that comes from the inside-out through His grace.

Real success is grace-based. It’s not earned, stolen, or passed on from others. Real success is a gift from God. It is being the recipient of His Grace. As we acknowledge, accept, and act upon His grace, we experience the fruit of real success.

Real success is an inner quality that manifests itself through external showings. We may at times be easily fooled through external showings, but the heart is the foundation of the soul. When the heart is a conduit of God’s Spirit, the fruit is real.

Real success is allowing God to live in you, with you, and through you. It is the result of submitting to Him. It is accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior. It is becoming one with Him. As we become one with Him, we learn to live in Him, with Him, and through Him. It is a personal, covenant marriage relationship between you and the Eternal.

As we walk with Him, we become the recipient of His divine nature. He showers us with His character. The fruit of His Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control: Gal 5:22) empowers us. We become more like Him as a child becomes more like their parent. We learn to live life from a grace-based foundation instead of a performance model. We begin to experience the fruit of salvation. We live in freedom. Instead of trying to make ourselves feel good through our activities, we learn to rest in Christ. Instead of viewing life only through our eyes, we see life also through the heart of our Maker. What we learn by walking with God, we share with others. We want all to experience real success as God intended mankind to have since the beginning of time.

Real success is God’s work, not ours. The earlier we learn that, the quicker we experience the genuine fruit of real success.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Executive Director & Founder
Marketplace Bible Institute
& Resource Center, Inc
Author of e-Books:
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

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Character Reproduction

Dr. Mike Life in Christ
“…but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:3-5 ESV

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Wouldn’t life be great if all we had to do is swallow a pill that would give us the character we desire? No effort required. No work involved. No experience of failure. No frustration to manage. Just immediate, character gratification.

We marvel at the highly discipline athlete. We celebrate the person who sacrifices immediate gratification for long term success. In many cases, we wish we had the same fortitude. Yet, the fact is we all have the opportunity to forgo the temporary pleasure for long term character growth.

The reality is also true; godly character takes time and pain to build. Through suffering we lean more on God. As we hang onto Christ, character is being produced. As we witness the character being produced, our hope in Christ becomes real.

Yes, God is reproducing himself in you. He has adopted you and gave you his personal DNA via the Holy Spirit. As we abide in Christ and rest in him, he works from the inside-out to mold and shape us into his model child. Through the circumstances we find ourselves in, through the people we associate with, and through the challenges & opportunities we face each day, God’s Spirit works to mold and shape the new you.

Some denominations identify a saint as someone who is unique and climbed the ladder of spiritual success. Yet the Bible calls everyone who is a believer a saint. In fact, the Bible calls us all saints in the plural and never in a singular fashion. For the saints of the Bible is another identification for the Body of Christ, the Church.

So maybe it is time that the Church, His saints, set aside immediate gratification and take seriously His objective to prepare His adopted children for more than physical comforts in this life. Maybe for some of us it’s time to get serious with allowing God to complete His work in us.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Executive Director & Founder
Marketplace Bible Institute
& Resource Center, Inc
Author of e-Books:
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

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Without Failure

Dr. Mike Business & Faith, Life in Christ , , , , ,
“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain”. 1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV
“Life keeps throwing me lemons because I make the best lemonade.” – King James Gadsden

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Failure is the road to success.
Without failure, we wouldn’t know which is the better road to take.
Without failure, we would produce inferior products and service.
Without failure, we wouldn’t know what changes to make.
Without failure, we would take everything for granted.
Without failure, pride would rule.
Without failure, humility wouldn’t shine.
Without failure, love would be cheapen.
Without failure, the best wouldn’t climb to the top.
Without failure, the reward-to-risk return wouldn’t be appreciated.
Without failure, lemonade would never come from lemons.
Without failure, light bulbs wouldn’t exist.
Without failure, victory would be shallow.
Without failure, second chances wouldn’t be necessary.
Without failure, grace wouldn’t be needed.
Without failure, evil would overcome good.
Without failure, boredom would be the number one complaint from people.
Without failure, there is no need for a Savior.
Without failure, hope is lost.
Without failure, courage wouldn’t be noticed.
Without failure, faith would be dead.
Without failure, truth would never be realized.
Without failure, life would be empty.
Without failure, opportunities wouldn’t exist.
Without failure, godly character wouldn’t bloom.
Without failure, talent wouldn’t be noticed.
Without failure, life would simply be taken for granted.

Isn’t life awesome when you can take failure, learn from it, make changes, and continue to move forward toward your life’s purpose and goals?

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Executive Director & Founder
Marketplace Bible Institute
& Resource Center, Inc
Author of e-Books:
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

Encourage a Friend…Share Today’s Message!