by Barbara Latta @barbaralatta
King Saul was an example of a man who began his national leadership submitted to God. He enjoyed victories in war while he followed the Lord. But when his true character was revealed, jealousy of David drove him to the point of madness where he even tried to kill David. His selfishness was the downfall of his reign and it cost him his life and the lives of his sons as well.
In contrast,
David is called a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). David sinned
terribly on more than one occasion, yet he always repented. He never blamed
anyone else for his failures, rather he took the consequences that the Almighty
laid out.
David won multitudes
of battles because he listened to the Lord’s guidance before he pursued an
enemy. He is an example to us that seeking divine vision is the path to
success.
These 6
Biblical Principles Will Teach Us How to Live a Successful Life
1. Seek the Lord
Above All Else
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10 NIV)
To receive the Holy Spirit’s power in our lives, we must deny any power we think we may have. The first step toward a blossoming life is submission to His authority.
We sometimes equate humility with putting ourselves down. But humility and meekness are not weak traits. Jesus was described as meek and lowly of heart, a place where we can find rest for our souls (Matthew 11:29). Yet He was a tower of strength to combat Satan, sin, and religious hypocrisy.
We exhibit strength when we acknowledge we need wisdom from a source greater than we are.
Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. (2 Timothy 2:23)
Arguing does
not change the issue nor does it alter a person’s mind. Only the Holy Spirit
can transform a person’s thinking. We don’t want to listen to this kind of
negative talk so much that we are influenced into absorbing a divisive mindset.
Spending time in needless discussions takes us away from the focus of our
goals.
3. Be Willing to Accept Advice
The things which you learned and
received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with
you. (Philippians 4:9)
We cannot learn
and grow if we think our opinion is the only one that matters, or if we think
we already know so much that we don’t need to listen. When a person is full of
pride, they have no ears for anyone else’s voice.
Learning and
listening to others takes denying our flesh. Sometimes it hurts. We may feel
like we have crawled upon the altar of criticism, but a loving instructor
corrects with love and bandages any wounds that occur during teachable moments.
We should
examine advice we receive to discern the intent. Some advice is not godly or
does not fit our situation. But we can listen and graciously thank the giver of
words for their time and concern.
4. Stay Focused
on the Goal
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. (Philippians 3:12)
James 1:5–8 tells us that a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. We cannot flourish in our goals and dreams if our mind is divided on the direction we need to go. Once we receive spiritual insight, we should stay focused on that and not allow other influences to sway us.
Satan sets traps for us when he knows we seek a holy objective. A mind full of dreams will not be accomplished without opposition.
5. Stay Out of Regret
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. (Isaiah 43:18-19)
No matter what has happened in our lives, our Father promises to restore and rebuild if we adhere to His ways (Joel 2:25). His mercy endures forever, and He is able to turn our disasters into diamonds. But He can only do that if we use His Word for healing of our damaged souls and depend upon His mercy.
6. Remember Where Success Comes From
Greed, lust for
power and worldly pleasures have turned scores of people away from the Lord from
the beginning of time until now. God knows human nature and that must be why He
warned the Israelites about the consequences of forgetting Him.
The Ultimate Guide
A prosperous person is one that fulfills the will of the Father. Jesus told His followers that the key to abundant life was in seeking God, not possessions (Matthew 6:33). Once our affection is in the right place, He will meet our needs.
Bookstores abound with guides on how to plan our lives, but the only one that never fails is the Creator’s plan. The Bible is our guide in how to live the Lord’s way. When we rely on the source of our success, we can be fruitful, joyful, and peaceful.
Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. (Joshua 1:8 NIV)
This post is an excerpt from an article that first appeared on Crosswalk.com.
