The Road to Success

What do you define as success?

Stop. Think for a moment. Be honest with yourself...

What will deliver satisfaction to your hunger for success?

What is it you're looking for in the endless quest? Tranquility. You think if only you can acquire enough worldly goods, enough recognition, enough eminence, you will be free, there'll be nothing more to worry about, and instead you become a bigger and bigger slave to how you think others are judging you. ~ Tom Wolfe, A MAN IN FULL


As a young kid my dad was concerned that once I would have a job that I would become lured by money. Dad was right. Once I had some money I experienced independence. It was new, felt like a grown up. I liked it. This new freedom jaded my judgement. 
I moved out at 18 years old and when I was on my own, I remember a conversation where a friend expressed satisfaction and feelings of accomplishment and success in his college degree and his career. He had just gotten married and his wife was a stay at home mom. During our conversation, I started to have a feeling of inferiority.

These days a friendly face to face conversation is not needed, let's jump on Instagram and surely our comparison will instantly initiate feelings of inferiority.
The conversation motivated me to get up and "go do something about my life".

I was working and decided I was going to start attending college. I was paying for my classes and my books. At some point I was working 2 jobs to pay for my bills and my school. I was slowly, but surely getting caught up. My endless quest had just began!
The list of things I wanted started to grow and nothing was ever enough.
Someway and somehow I managed to stay focused on the things I did not have and ignore the things I did.

But isn't that how it goes?

The word of God gives sound advice in this matter. In Luke 12:22 "Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes."

The 12th chapter of Luke has insight on how Jesus viewed this kind of lifestyle. The life that makes us a slave to ambition and if we are not vigilant we can bring this into our Christian living. 

The Lord brought me through a season of depression. Through my journey with depression I started questioning every decision that lead me to so much void. I knew that I had known God. I asked God how and when did all my dissatisfaction move into my heart making itself so comfortable and at home? The word of God teaches us what the worries of life will do in the life of a believer in Matthew 13 , Jesus illustrates with the parable of the sower and the seed in Matthew 13:7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants., Matthew 13:22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.. Jesus warns us on the danger of worries and focus for success and for attaining what we think we need in order to be wealthy and feel complete, but the sense of fulfillment away from God is an illusion.

We become unfruitful. 

Have you ever felt unfruitful? Are you in a season where you keep striving and pushing, but everything is staying the same?

When we come from a place in which we are used to doing everything ourselves it becomes challenging to trust God and as believers we can fall into relying in ourselves and in our own understanding. However, God tells us to do the opposite Proverbs 3: 5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding.

Although everyone is different and every situation is unique let's always put ourselves out to seek the Lord more than the desires of our heart. He will take care of the rest. 

The word of God holds a powerful prophesy over us as believers in Psalm 90:17 

And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands.

God has plans for us... 
Psalm 139:13 The Lord all mighty created all the delicate parts of our being as He knit us in our mother's womb. The holy scriptures tell us that He called us by name, even before we were born. Every purpose that needs to take place in our life will take place in His timing. If we prematurely force things to produce fruit, we will kill the seed. 

Don't doubt for a moment that God doesn't want to give you the desires of your heart. He placed those desires in us, but God cares much more for our growth than He does for us getting what we want, when we want it. 

Nothing that we do goes unnoticed. 

What we sometimes interpret as silence from God doesn't mean that He is absent and His word promises in Isaiah 64:4 That no one will hear or see a God as strong and magnificent as those who wait in Him. Let's cease to strive and let's strive to Love Him even when we don't see what He has promised. During the waiting season allow yourself to understand that you have arrived to the promised land. The land where no matter what you are going through, you have a living hope, a living God and He will not shame you, He will not leave you nor will He forsake you. 

In this season you may experience hardship. You will become inpatient and you will be tempted to take action into your own hands. You will fear that things will never change, but the good thing is you have not received a spirit of fear, but a spirit of love power and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7)

We lack nothing.

I encourage you to stay hungry for God. I encourage you to seek His presence now more than ever. Stay focused. Don't give up and please don't jump ship. The word of God and His promises have life in them and they will come to pass and you will see in your lifetime the promise in Psalm 34:8 You will taste and see that The Lord is good and you will see how happy is the person who takes refuge in Him, for those who fear Him lack NOTHING. Amen!