Success is from God
Scripture Reading: “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Luke 14:11
Being successful at work or in life is a direct testament to the amazing gifts that God has blessed you with. Each one of us was created in God’s likeness and each one of us has unique talents that Christ has either given us at birth or we have received through the power of the Holy Spirit as Christ saw fit. By thanking God when you are successful at your job not only gives glory to God, but it keeps us humble, reminding us where our focus should be during times of great accomplishment at our job. In the moment of success when you turn to God in praise it keeps your mind shielded from any plots by the devil on where the true praise should be applied. Even success can be an opportunity for the devil to work sin into your lives and you need to be aware and prepared in these moments. It’s through your humility even in times of great success, that you will lead yourself and your families into the true reward with Christ. Also during these times of great success at your job, when you praise God you are also resisting temptation. It’s through your humility that Christ will lead you into further success to according to his purpose.
When we make a big sale, close a deal, win an award, get promoted or get a raise these can be high risk times for us. The devil will use the opportunity of our success at our job, to lead us into a self-righteous attitude in our moment of accomplishment. It’s is perfectly ok to be proud of ourselves for the work we did and to celebrate with our families or loved ones. However, if we are not careful to acknowledge God, we form a habit of relying on our self and not Christ. I was 23 years old and broke the Hotels monthly record for the highest closed contract value in one month. The payout from a month like this in commission dollars was mid 5 figures (50K+). The months leading up to this my sales numbers where getting better and better and as the praise from my coworkers came, so did the size of my head and my ego. When I closed the 500K worth of business in that largest month, the devil and the world told me I was undeniably “the man.” I didn’t acknowledge nor even think about God, and this lead me to a place of selfishness that brought about a huge near-term crumble in my work performance. By not acknowledging the real source of my success, which was God, I got complacent and cocky and spent money foolishly. I didn’t make a sale for the next 7 months. When we exalt ourselves, we can allow pride and selfishness to steal where the glory truly belongs, and that is with God.
It’s by the power of the Holy Spirit (the counselor) that you can to tap into your true strength which is Christ. You even have gifts that sometimes you don’t know about. Talents and gifts can that lay dormant for many years before you know they are even there. Sometimes God will bless you with new gifts according to his purpose for your new life with him. For example: you are currently reading my devotions and growing up English and Literature were my LEAST favorite subjects. Catching me with a pen and notebook in my hand working at a Barnes and Noble on creative writing was the LAST thing you would find me doing in my old life. When I was born again through Christ, I discovered not only a burning passion to write but also now I can dance! Amazing things can and will happen to you as your walk with God strengthens. All successes that we have are a direct result of our creator’s love for us. God loves you and has amazing things in store for your life!
Key Point: All success in your lives points to God and his perfect plan for the abilities he gave you. Praise God and unlock new talents through staying close to his Spirit
Recommended Reading: Luke 14:1-14