TRUE SUCCESS
Psalms 1:1-3
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
Joe had hunted two times in Colorado for elk. The first year he spent 11 hard days chasing bulls all over the mountain with me and my brother, but he didn't bring a bull home. The second year was different. We hunted opening day. We saw many big bull elk and beautiful bulls, but Joe had a goal... and he met it late in the day.
When we finally sat next to the trophy bull, Joe broke down and cried. One of his biggest dreams had been fulfilled. The trophy of his dreams was now his. He was successful.
Many of us have heard stories of professional athletes that have made it to the very top of their game only to find out it wasn't as special as they thought it would be.
Brett Farve talks about when he won his super bowl... when he went into the locker room, where all his teammates were celebrating, he walked through to another room and sat alone. His thoughts were, "is this all there is? Is this success?"
Even in hunting, a truly successful hunt doesn't have to be because you harvested a trophy... being with close friends and family and enjoying time together is success enough.
A while ago I had someone ask how I felt about success and what it meant to me. After thinking about it for just a few minutes... Here are my thoughts. Please know that I believe that God blesses many Christians with great *financial" gain... But is that really what "success" is for those that love the Lord?
As we grow closer to the Lord the meaning of success changes. The old hymn "turn your eyes upon Jesus" says,
"Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace."
As God becomes a bigger part of our life the things that marked success by the world become a lesser part the true meaning of success changes. We start to realize that the "stuff" of this world is just that, "stuff", it has no eternal value. Success might mean a loving family with grandkids in the yard. But unless that family loves the Lord even that can be a deterrent to true success.
The peace that only God can give is what true success is to me peace and true joy. As the apostle Paul wrote to the Philippian church in chapter 4. " I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."
The "stuff" this world gives is not all bad in and of itself... But God provides for our needs and true success isn't in what we have or how much money is in our wallet, its about our contentment in the place God has put us now.
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