Success is finishing your course

“Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in his eyes.”
Romans 12:2 The Passion Translation (TPT)

We should not look like the world looks! Success in God’s kingdom looks different to that of the world. Success isn’t just having a lot of money; success is being filled with the joy of the Lord! I believe God wants us to have an abundance of wealth and finances so we can be a blessing but having loads of cash is not success. A lot of people have financial prosperity, but their lives are falling apart; they’re miserable and some of them even end up taking their own lives. I know of some “successful” people in the world who were wealthy businessmen, had big homes and all that type of stuff, but their families were in shambles, their relationships are dysfunctional and some of them even ended up taking their own lives. That is not success. Success is being able to say like the Apostle Paul,

“I have fought an excellent fight. I have finished my full course and I’ve kept my heart full of faith. 8 There’s a crown of righteousness waiting in heaven for me, and I know that my Lord will reward me…”
2 Timothy 4:7-8 The Passion Translation (TPT)

What a powerful statement! You are truly successful if you can say that at the end of your life! And yet the person writing that – Paul – spent a lot of time in jail. Most of us wouldn’t see someone in jail as successful, but Paul spent a lot of his time in prison and yet he was successful. He wasn’t imprisoned because he was a bad boy, he was imprisoned because of his faith! Because he was doing what God called him to do. The way God sees success and the way that the world sees success is different. Success isn’t in fame and fortune, it is in being able to say, “I have finished my full course!” And in order to be able to say that you have finished your full course, you need to know what it is, and then you need to finish it, completely! This can only flow out of relationship with God; everything flows out of relationship with God! True success starts in relationship with God and flows out of relationship with God!

You may be desiring to know what your next step is? I would encourage you don’t just go around and ask for everyone’s opinion and try and do things like that people are telling you to do them – go to God! It’s not wrong to ask people for advice but you need to make your decisions with the Lord, you need to spend some time with Him; that’s the only way to know what’s on His heart for you. God knows what your next step should be and His plan for you is going to be better than your plan for you.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”
Jeremiah 29:11-13 New King James Version (NKJV)

You only get to know what the prosperous future filled with hope is after you start seeking God. You might be saying, “But I’m seeking God and I haven’t found Him, yet! I don’t know what my purpose is!” Don’t quit! Quitters never win and winners never quit! Keep seeking Him!