‘The Fortune Cookie Message Of The Week Club’ posted earlier tonight got me thinking about what the Bible says about success and complacency through it all. I went digging into the New Testament – specifically the 2ND Book of Corinthians.
I found this intriguing passage in Chapter 3 (New Living Translation):
1 Are we beginning again to tell you how good we are ? Some people need to bring letters of recommendation with them or ask you to write letters of recommendation for them.
2 But the only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves ! Your lives are a letter written in our hearts, and everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you.
3 Clearly, you are a letter from Christ prepared by us. It is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on stone, but on human hearts.
4 We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ.
5 It is not that we think we can do anything of lasting value by ourselves. Our only power and success come from God.
The way that I read that Scripture above is that you don’t need to bother God with boasting of how good you are and what good you’ve done. Your true success can be seen easily in your heart and in your soul. If one can see the goodness that you have done for others there – then that is the ultimate measuring stick of success. It’s not the material goods and possessions that surround you on the outside that matter, but rather what’s going on in your heart, in your mind, and in your soul. That’s what God cares about. That’s what He always sees. If He sees good in there then you are His, for that goodness – it came from Him.
CountUp 