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Success
Friday, December 13, 2024 by Rick Stockwell
Success
READ 1 John 2:15-17
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.
-- 1 John 2:15 (NIV)
How do you measure a successful life? There are many different opinions on this topic. Most people think success is based on how much power, fame, possessions, or money they’ve accumulated during their lifetime. A coworker once posted a note on his office cubicle wall that read, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” John D. Rockefeller, once the wealthiest man in the world, was asked, “How much money is enough?” He sarcastically replied, “Just a little more.” I love the image of the hearse on the way to the cemetery with a U-Haul trailer attached to it, as if the deceased can take their possessions with them (1 Timothy 6:7). Others base success on how well their kids do in school, in sports, or in the arts. Still others take the opposite view and measure success based on how little they’ve accumulated. The Greek Stoic philosopher Epictetus was asked, “Who is the rich man?” Epictetus replied, “He who is content.”
This is how God measures a successful life: That you know him (John 17:3), that your name is written in the book of life (Luke 10:20), that you help others to know him (Daniel 12:3), and that you obey his commandments (John 14:15, Matthew 22:37-40). Jesus said, “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” (Mark 8:36). We don’t merit all the credit for our accomplishments and accumulated possessions, since our talents, abilities, and our very beings are given to us by God. Instead, we rejoice that we’re saved, know God, help others to know him, and obey his commandments to the best of our ability, as these are the ultimate measures of a successful life.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Success is measured more by what we bring to heaven, than what we leave behind.
Prayer: Father in heaven, help us to focus not on the things of this world, but on one day being in your presence, where there is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11).
Prayer Focus: LOVERS OF THIS WORLD
Rick Stockwell
Rick Stockwell is employed as an IT Program Manager. He teaches Sunday school for kindergartners, is an elder at his church, and is the author of two Christian novels: THE WALL and THE BATTLE. He's been married for thirty-four years, and has two children and five grandchildren.
Book link: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B07HQ8G3MJ
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