HOW CAN I BE SUCCESSFUL?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but
only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
(1 Corinthians 9:24)

MEDITATION:
Have you ever gone through a time in your life when you felt that
all your efforts seemed to be in vain? No matter what you tried to
do or say, none of your efforts were effective. You may be going
through a time like that right now.

You may see someone going astray and because of your love for
them, you try everything you can think of to encourage them to
turn their life around. However, nothing you have tried seems to
be making a difference in their actions and life choices. In fact,
your efforts might be alienating them from you.

You may be struggling at work and are working extra hours to show
your manager that you are conscientious, and willing to do whatever
it takes to get the job done…but your efforts go unnoticed and/or
unappreciated.

You may be trying to reestablish a friendship that is crumbling
due to some disagreement you’ve had with a friend, but no matter
how much you try, your friend is just not willing to patch things up
and be friends again.

I’m sure many other instances could be listed, but the point is,
we can feel that we are trying to do the right things, but keep
getting either the wrong results, or no results at all.

Apparently, Paul experienced some of the same things we do and
he compared his efforts to running a race. Paul knew that to win
a race, dedicated training was required (it’s not going to happen if
we are not willing to do something).
    Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict
    training. They do it to get a crown that will not last,
    but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
    (1 Corinthians 9:25)

Paul discovered the route to success; he knew the importance of staying
in a close relationship with the Lord. If he could at least do that, then
regardless of any earthly results of his efforts, he knew he could attain
his goal of ‘receive a lasting crown’ from the Lord, and that was good
enough for him.

Paul wanted to do the right thing, but even if his efforts were ineffective,
he would find success in achieving his goal of receiving the ‘crown of life’.
Of course, Paul was concerned about how others would be impacted by
the things he said and did, but he had a greater concern about how the
Lord felt about his efforts. He wanted the Lord to know that everything
he did was sincere, and from the desires of his heart of love for others.

Paul’s goal was to please the Lord, and as result, he didn’t feel that his
success or failure was based on how others responded to his efforts. He
had a well-defined goal as his target for measuring success; Paul was
not floundering around with any wasted efforts.
    Therefore I do not run like someone running
    aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating
    the air.
    (1 Corinthians 9:26)

Paul didn’t want to miss out on his ultimate goal of receiving
    ‘a crown that will last forever’,
so he pounded himself into submission to the Lord. In other words,
he conditioned himself for success. He made the necessary changes
and sacrifices to qualify for the prize.
    No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave
    so that after I have preached to others, I myself will
    not be disqualified for the prize.
    (1 Corinthians 9:27)

At the end of the race of life, Paul wanted to experience the Lord raising
his hand in victory and saying, “Well done My good and faithful servant!”
Shouldn’t that be our goal as well? Things in this life are important, but
they can’t compare with the importance of preparing to face the Lord at
the end of our earthly journey.

The perception others have of us may be incorrect. They may not
understand who we are and they might misinterpret our efforts to
show our love for them, but when we are striving to be more like
Jesus, and we are guided by the Holy Spirit, the Lord knows our
heart and the intent of our efforts.

Paul was no different than the rest of us; he wanted to see positive results
from his efforts here on earth. But he was also wise enough to know that
he had no control of how others would respond to any of his efforts. He
could only control himself, and he chose to do that through submission
to the Lord and serving Him in the way the Lord had chosen for him.
Paul’s goal was to please the Lord first, and hopefully to succeed in his
efforts with others as well.

We can see that Paul’s formula for success was:
    to be a servant of God, and have the faith that
    the Lord would enhance his efforts with others.
He realized his mission was to ‘sow the good news seeds’ with others
and trust that the Lord would ‘water the seeds’ he had planted.

This meant that there were times when Paul would not see the results
of his efforts. He may have planted the seeds in one area and moved
to another city or region before the Lord added water to what he had
planted. But Paul was okay with that! He knew he was pleasing the
Lord when he was using the ‘spiritual gift’ the Lord had given him.

ACTION:
What is your mission? Are you bogged down with disappointment
in how others respond to your efforts? Are you ‘running aimlessly’
or ‘boxing the air’ in your efforts to seek earthly results? Are you
using the ‘spiritual gifts’ you have been given? Do you even know
the ‘spiritual gifts’ you have been given? What goals have you set
for pleasing the Lord?

First and foremost, the Lord wants us to show others that our faith
in Him is real. Our faith is much more than something to be talked
about; it should be a living faith that is evident for all to see. When
others can see the sincerity of our faith, we have become witnesses
for the Lord; our lifestyle shows others how His saving grace can
change lives and give us a purpose for living.

Sometimes we can become a little ‘preachy’ to others, but what good
is it if they can’t see any evidence in our lives that God is real to us?
We must never forget where we were before we met Jesus and became
a member of God’s family.

Many of us can recall instances when we were ‘turned off’ by someone
who was trying to point us toward Jesus, but they were condescending
in their efforts. Their emphasis was more on their ‘holiness’ than on the
fact that they were in the same place we were, until Jesus rescued them.

It has been well said that,
    “People don’t care how much we know
      until they know how much we care”
When we elevate ourselves and avoid our admission that we were
sinners like everyone else until the Lord changed us, then we have
separated ourselves from them.

We are not speaking to them at an eye to eye level, and we could
be causing them to think we are looking down on them. Some of
us can tell others what they should be doing but are failing to do
them ourselves. Satan loves it when he can persuade us to have a
“Do as I say” approach and overlook the value of a “Do as I do”
lifestyle. As an example, we can tell others about the love of Jesus,
but fail to allow His love to flow through us.

Paul tells us our number one goal is to please the Lord, to love the
Lord (and others), and to show the Lord and everyone else that our
faith in Him is sincere. How can we do that? By proving our love for
Him through obedience to His commands (which includes using our
spiritual gifts we have been given). Look at these words from Jesus:
    “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me
      will do the works I have been doing…
      (John 14:12a)

    “If you love me, keep my commands.”
      (John 14:15)

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, I don’t want to go through life aimlessly
seeking worldly success. Help me to be more like Paul with
a desire to please You as my number one goal. Teach me to
‘beat myself into submission’ so I can become Your slave.
I realize this means I need to make significant changes in
my life and my priorities if I expect to receive the ‘crown of
life’ . Help me to show my faith to others by the way I live,
rather than by the things I say. Guide me in using the
spiritual gift You have given me to point others to Jesus.
Prevent me from being discouraged by the negative results
of my efforts, and teach me to be encouraged in knowing
that true success is achieved through pleasing You.”

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