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Success: What is it? What is God’s Idea of Success?

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Success: What is it? What is God’s Idea of Success?

Success. What is success? What does a successful person look like? How do we know when we’ve achieved success? I mean success is something we all strive for, right? It goes to reason then, that we should know what it is that we are aiming toward.

So who gets to define success? I think it’s safe to say that culture, society or the rest of the world probably defines success significantly differently than God does. Culture might say that success looks like wealth, power, status, fame, happiness, and fortune. Are these things bad? No, not at all. Some of the people that the bible calls “successful” had these things, but they didn’t always. Quite frankly, they were called successful before they even had these things!

Joseph…success as a slave and prisoner

Joseph was second in command to the Pharaoh of Egypt, making him rich, powerful, famous, respected, and so on. However, God called Joseph successful when he was a slave and a prisoner before he ever got to the point of status, wealth, power and fame.

“The LORD was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. Potiphar noticed this and realized that the LORD was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did.” Genesis 39:2-3 (NLT)

“The warden had no more worries, because Joseph took care of everything. The LORD was with him and caused everything he did to succeed.” Genesis 29:23 (NLT)

David…success as an underdog, servant and fugitive

David was considered one of the greatest and most beloved kings that ever lived possessing all of the things previously discussed…fame, power, fortune, wealth, and more. However, He was considered a success even before he became king. In fact, he was an underdog, a servant to Saul, and even a fugitive escaping Saul’s wrath and jealousy when he was called “successful”.

“David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the LORD was with him.” 1 Samuel 18:14 (NLT)

Counterintuitive success

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Do You Know the Formula for Success?

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Learn the 4 part formula for success laid out for us in the Bible. I believe this formula will work in any situation (whether you’re a Christian or not).

Do You Know the Formula For Success?

This post is taken from the Formula for Success page here.

 Joshua 1:5-9 (NLT)

5 No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.

6 “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. 8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. 9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

I recently had what I like to call an “Aha” or “light bulb” moment (you know—where the light bulb seems to come on in your head and you go “Aha!”).  This is otherwise known as “revelation knowledge”–it’s a fancy way of saying “something really cool that God just showed me!”  I noticed (actually God brought to my attention) something that I’ve never noticed before in this passage in Joshua (passage shown above).  My pastor might call it a “sandwich” of sorts!  The messages in verses 5-8 are restated again in reverse in verses 8-9. Look:

  • v.5 God says–I will be with you
    • v. 6 & 7 God says—Be strong and courageous
      • v. 7 God says—Obey, then you will succeed and prosper
        • v. 8 God says—Study, meditate on and say God’s instructions (His Word)
      • v. 8 God says—Obey, then you will succeed and prosper
    • v. 9 God says—Be strong and courageous
  • v. 9 God says—I am with you

I firmly believe this is a formula for success laid out for us in the Bible.  I believe this formula will work in any situation (whether you’re a Christian or not). 

There’s a formula for success laid out in the Bible that works whether you’re a Christian or not.

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This is a four-part formula.  There is a central step or component we must complete (the only part that is not repeated) surrounded by or sandwiched by three other things that are crucial to our success.  I like to look at it like a target or a mark for success.  It should be something for which we aim or shoot.

Here are the four components of the target:

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