If you entrust all you do to ADONAI, your plans will achieve success. Pro 16:3
Ok, this time I gave it away in the title: success is faith and obedience.
You can see this with Joshua, for example. God tells him to keep reading the law and trust him, and he would be successful in conquering the land.
David was successful in all his ways because God was with him.
Without faith we cannot please God. Without faith we cannot hear his voice. Without faith we cannot know his plans for our lives, nor the next step to take. Therefore no chance to be obedient without faith. And without obedience we cannot be successful. Why? Because God gives us the desires of our hearts – that means, he both plants them in our hearts as well as leads them to fruition.
An example:
I started this blog almost 6 years ago. And for the last year, I have been rather active on it. Over the last 16 months I have accumulated just over 6000 reads. Statistically, this is not a great success. my most read article – I have lived a blameless life – has been read about 150 times.
I have to confess: when I did the math a few weeks ago – just after reading about successful bloggers and their following – I was discouraged. Was it worth the effort?
Jesus only did what he saw the father doing.
So Jesus made answer and said, Truly I say to you, The Son is not able to do anything himself; he is able to do only what he sees the Father doing; whatever the Father does the Son does it in the same way. John 5:19
This is even true to a higher degree as actually the father was the acting part.
Have you not faith that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words which I say to you, I say not from myself:but the Father who is in me all the time does his works. John 14:10
Wasn’t even the Spirit waiting on the word of God to act when this earth was created? Up to the word spoken, he only hovered over the waters and the deep.
Jesus goes on to say:
Truly I say to you, He who puts his faith in me will do the very works which I do, and he will do greater things than these, because I am going to my Father. John 14:12
Ok now. Jesus only did, what he saw the father doing. He put his faith in the father, and obeyed by acting on the fathers words. And he tells us that, if we do the same, we will do greater things, wonders, deeds than he, because he will be with the father. He also told us that he is going to the father for a reason. He wanted to send the Spirit. This Spirit will not only comfort us, but teach us everything about the father and remind us of Jesus’ words. He will be our guide, the pedagogon, that leads us to the teacher, Jesus Christ.
I think, by now I have proven that success is faith and obedience.
Back to my blog writing.
In this case I only have to know whether I faithfully obey God when writing. And I can honestly say that I do.
Therefore I am successful.
All else is not my responsibility.
Maybe I write so you can read this and apply it to your life. Maybe you need to change what you are doing to align with what the father shows you, maybe you just needed a confirmation that you are successful – if not in the world’s eyes, then in God’s.
I would love to hear from you.