HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 324
page A322
Success continued
Throughout the Scriptures, there are frequent references to God’s material blessings for his
people. God allows his people to have material blessing, but urges them never to forget
the One who gives it. It is always a bad investment to sacrifice spiritual matters for worldly
wealth.
• PR O V E R B S 1 6 :3 | Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.
Earthly success can be a worthwhile goal, but commitment to God is even more worthwhile. Only when our work is done for the glory of God can we consider ourselves to be
truly successful.
How do I keep my focus on godly success?
• PSA L M 3 7 :5 | Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.
The first step toward success is being willing to let go of your own agenda and commit to
God’s agenda for you.
• PR O V E R B S 1 5 :2 2 | Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success.
Trust God to guide you through the wise counsel of people who can be trusted.
• MAT T H E W 6 :1 9 -2 1 | “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and
rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven,
where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever
your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”
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Deliberately look for the kind of treasure you find when you get to heaven, and then your
heart will be in the right place. This means that you set priorities and measure accomplishments by God’s standards, not by worldly criteria. You can’t always ignore worldly
standards, but you must keep them in perspective.
• 1 T I MOT H Y 4 :8 | “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better,
promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”
Spiritual fitness keeps you vigorous for spiritual success
• PH I L I P P I A NS 3 :1 2 -1 4 | I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first
possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this
one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach
the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus,
is calling us.
• 2 T I MOT H Y 4 :7 -8 | I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have
remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the
Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just
for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.
Constant awareness of your heavenly rewards helps you remain faithful.
• PR O V E R B S 2 1 :3 1 | The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to
the Lord.
• PSA L M 4 4 :3 | They did not conquer the land with their swords; it was not their own strong
arm that gave them victory. It was your right hand and strong arm and the blinding light
from your face that helped them, for you loved them.
God is the one who gives success. You might be as prepared and diligent as you can be,
but you should never trust only in your preparation or your resources; there are too many
things you can’t control. Trust God to open and close doors for you.
• PSA L M 1 1 2 :1 -4 | How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying his commands. Their children will be successful everywhere; an entire generation of godly people
will be blessed. . . . Their good deeds will last forever. Light shines in the darkness for the
godly. They are generous, compassionate, and righteous.
Faithfulness bears fruit for generations to come. God’s grace is far more reliable than any
earthly treasures or titles. He promises to leave a spiritual legacy of success to those we
love most. There is no better inheritance.