GOD'S PRINCIPLES FOR TRUE SUCCESS
Introduction: Charlotte's Web
is a beautiful children's story by author E. B. White about a spider named
Charlotte who lives in a barn just above the pig's stall named Wilbur. Wilbur
is worried that the farmer will turn him into bacon once he grows fat enough.
It's a valid concern.
Charlotte and Wilbur develop a close
friendship, and as Wilbur grows larger, Charlotte uses all of her resources to
rescue Wilbur. She writes messages on her web to convince the farm's owners
that Wilbur is a pig worth saving. The story builds to the final chapter titled
"The Moment of Triumph." So, what was Charlotte's moment of triumph?
As the story draws to a close,
Charlotte the spider is in the barn dying, [Wilbur the pig is being judged at
the county fair in a pig contest], and she can hear the roar of applause for
Wilbur [as he wins a special prize and thus his life is spared]. Charlotte
finds great joy in knowing that her life has meant the success of another, her
close friend, Wilbur.
Though no one will remember her, the
things she has done, and the sacrifices she has made, she is satisfied, having
loved her friend in life and in death. Leadership is about fading. The great
ones willingly move into irrelevance."[1] Does God want us to be
successful in life? What does Biblical success look like? What provisions did God
make for us to succeed?
Our story begins with the fading
away of a humble leader who led over 600,000 Israelites out of their bondage in
Egypt. The Lord's servant Moses was now dead at age 120, but before he slipped
away from the scene, laid his hands on Joshua, who was full of the spirit of
wisdom, and appointed him as his successor. How well Joshua would succeed as a
leader depended on whether he would follow God's principles for true success or
not. These true success principles apply to all those who aspire to be leaders
and succeed in life in all generations.
This is the time of the year when
the world goes after so-called successful people or person of the year in
several disciplines, such as arts, sports, entertainment, education,
leadership, invention, etc. We often confuse success with material wealth,
popularity, and celebrity status. Ironically many successful people's lives are
in shambles. What is True Success?
Pastor Rico Tice writes, "I'll
never forget the funeral at which an old lady said to me, 'Rico, do you know
what failure is? No – tell me,' I answered. "What she said next has stuck
with me ever since: 'Failure is being successful at the things that don't
matter.'"
Rico continues, success is hearing, 'Well
done from the only lips that matter. Failure is being successful at the things
that don't truly matter at all." Biblical success depends not on our doing
but on our being. Biblical success is faithfulness. God doesn't call us to be
successful but to be faithful in all aspects of life. God's principles of True
Success. Joshua 1:1-9
I.
When all is said and done, recognize that we are only God's humble servants.
(Vs. 1-2)
Vs. 1-2, "After the
death of Moses the Lord's servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses'
assistant. He said, "Moses, my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has
come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into
the land I am giving them."
We have a wrong understanding of
leadership. We often view leaders as authoritarian, influential, who commands
everyone's awe and respect. But Biblical leadership is considered servanthood,
and the leaders saw themselves as servants. Moses grew up in a palace, an
adopted son of Pharoah's daughter, well-educated and influential, yet God calls
him my servant.
God's final testimony of Moses was
not about his brilliant administrative and leadership skills but of his
faithfulness as a servant in God's entire household.
Servant of the LORD" is an honorary
title used most frequently by Moses in the OT, thirteen times alone in Joshua. What
the Lord spoke to Joshua indicates now the leadership is transferred from Moses
to Joshua.
That same distinction and charge of
a servant were given to Joshua. His assignment was to take the Israelites
across the Jordan River into the land that God promised to their ancestors. At
the end of his life, Joshua, too, was honored with the title, "servant of
the Lord, (24:29).
Joshua means, "Yahweh is salvation.
"Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua. When the angel announced the birth of
Jesus, he linked His name with salvation from sin: "And she will have a
son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their
sins." Matthew 1:21 If Joshua and Jesus saw themselves as God's servants,
how do we see ourselves?
No matter the task we are given, when
everything is said and done, we recognize we are nothing but mere humble
servants of God. Therefore, "Work willingly at whatever you do, as though
you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord
will give you an inheritance as your reward and that the Master you are serving
is Christ." Col 3:23-24
II.
Remember God is with you no matter where you are or what you are going through
Vs. 3-5, "I promise you what I
promised Moses…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."
Leading many stubborn and rebellious people across the Jordan river into the
promised land looked like a daunting task for Joshua. He must have been
petrified to lead without Moses.
If you were in the shoes of Joshua,
you might have cold feet too. Joshua needed some assurance, so God assured him
of his presence and protection, so long Joshua lived and led the people of
Israel. The way God had promised to be with Moses and Joshua, so is He with us.
God would never ask us to do
something or lead us somewhere where we don't have his presence and protection.
One of the names of God is Immanuel; it means God with us. When you are going
through tough times or called to do something you have never done in the past,
remember God is with you. God's presence is our assurance, which gives us
confidence.
III.
Success in life is not guaranteed unconditionally.
Vs.
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." Joshua might have
been void of strength and courage, so God commanded Him to be strong and
courageous three times in this passage.
Biblical success in life is
conditional. Here is one condition. It is not to deviate from God's
instructions and carefully obey all of them. Sadly, many Christians believe
conspiracy theories and turn away from their faith. Many false prophets infiltrate
into the Church of God, deceiving unequipped believers. How do we combat false
prophets? By becoming devoted followers of Christ who knows how to handle the
truth. Where do we find the truth about God, ourselves, the world, the devil,
and our final destination? In God's inspired Word, the Bible.
IV.
Studying and Meditating God's Word daily reaps rich benefits.
Vs. 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." For Joshua, it was the Pentateuch, the first five books. For us,
it is the whole Bible.
You may have noticed that there is a
lot of focus on brain and mental health these days. One thing that tops many
lists on cultivating brain and mental health is meditation.
Modern science is finding that
meditative practices are good for you. There is nothing new for believers; we
know that God rewards those who read and meditate on His Word regularly. Psalms
1:2-3, "But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and
night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each
season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do." Do
you want to bear fruit and prosper in all you do? Cultivate faithfulness. True
success is being faithful to God and His calling on our lives.
It is expressed in daily reading,
meditating on His Word, and applying it to your everyday situations. God calls
us to be faithful in little things. Being
faithful in small things means reading your Bible, praying, worshiping, and
attending church regularly.
It also means walking in integrity,
doing what you say you will do. It means your family, friends, and employers
can count on you to do the right thing. In 2022, if we follow these godly
principles, we will succeed in all that we do in this life. As we remain
faithful till the end of our lives, we hear our Savior say to us, "Well done,
my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small
amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let's celebrate
together! In Greek, "Enter into the joy of your Master. Matthew 25:23.
Amen!
[1] https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2011/november/2110711.html
Dave Gibbons, Xealots
(Zondervan, 2011), pp. 145-146
