I believe every one in his right mind wants to succeed in life. A basic definition of success is the achievement of one’s goals or aspirations in life. Though we labor to achieve success in life, God is the ultimate source of our success.
The Bible puts it this way: “The horse is made ready for the day of battle,” but victory rests with the Lord (Prov. 21:31, NIV).
Is that your perspective on life? Or do you think success in life comes solely through proper preparation and smart planning? These things have their place. The verse above does not denounce appropriate planning or preparation. But the message is that ultimately, our successes and victories come from the Lord.
There are two wrong ways to view the verse above. One, we can prepare the horse for battle, and trust that the arm of flesh will cause us to succeed. Or two, we can argue that since our success in life rests with the Lord, we need not “prepare the horse for battle.” Both perspectives are wrong. According to the verse, we should make appropriate preparation for battle as well as trust God for success.
I find great encouragement in the broader application of the aforementioned verse. It underscores the importance of us learning how to trust God completely.
Acknowledging God for Our Success in Life
Sometimes, when we face a “giant” in life, our efforts to overcome can seem so inadequate. But more than the arm of flesh is always at work on our behalf. Though we can’t see God, He is at work on our behalf to cause our efforts to prevail. He is greater and mightier than any opposition we will ever face.
A friend of mine and I have had a certain conversation on more than one occasion. It’s about the fact that some churches seem to take off and grow. Others can’t seem to ever get off the ground. The church she attends has grown to over 1000 members. And she strongly implies that it’s primarily because of her pastor’s efforts. In other words, if the other pastors were as gifted as her pastor, they too would realize similar growth.
I have repeatedly told her that she’s looking at it all wrong. Of course, church leaders should walk in integrity and be faithful. But the subject of church growth or ministry success is much bigger than the church leaders themselves. Admittedly, the pastor is the face of the ministry. When a local church realizes success, we tend to give him the bulk of the credit. But God is the main player when it comes to the success that a local church experiences. Without God on the pastor’s side, his efforts–no matter how diligent–would not be fruitful.
Let us stay focused on the real deal. Whatever your personal aspirations are or whatever opposition life throws at you, give it all you have to win or to succeed. But always trust God for your success in life.
Copyright © 2022 by Frank King. All rights reserved.