Focus: No Alternative To Success! (Pt.2)

Text: Jh.19:30

"It is finished."

I state categorically that success has no alternative. You can't afford to fail in this life. God has put inside of you everything it takes to succeed here on earth, regardless of the challenges that life throws at you. You have an inbuilt capacity to succeed and excel in whatever you set your mind to do. 

Nehemiah says, "So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a MIND TO WORK" (Neh.4:6). Nehemiah and his team were able to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, for the people had a mind to work. They were decisive and determined. They had a lot of obstacles in their way, but they persevered and prevailed at the end of the day. In Genesis 11, God said concerning the builders of the Tower of Babel, "Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do." Only God could stop the project; not anyone or anything else could do that. 

You are capable of achieving great success in this life. You are destined for success in whatever vocation you commit yourself to.

Let us, today, focus on the first letter of success - S.

*Source of success

God is the source of success. Someone said a long time ago that whatever we do without God, we will either fail miserably or succeed even more miserably. The God-factor cannot be overemphasized as far as success is concerned.

Success is a positive thing, and no positive thing happens by accident, inaction, or passivity. Real success involves the God-dimension.

Satan only gives false success, not real success. Satan lacks the ability to create, and success is the product of creative energy and activity. Success achieved in a wrong way or by wrong means is false success. You can't kill or steal to succeed, and still have the audacity to call it success. Whatever success you achieve by illegitimate means makes it illegitimate. We see some people who are into philanthropy telling us that they are giving back to society, when actually they are simply returning a little portion of what they have looted in different forms from society. That cannot pass as success.

A lot of successful people are really failures, or criminals who have not been caught and convicted by a court of competent jurisdiction. In fact, it is often said that the 11th commandment says, 'Thou shall not be caught.' So those who have not yet been caught in the evil they do go about parading themselves as good people. While they are doing everything in their power to look good in the eyes of others, their consciences say otherwise. It is because of such people that another has said that every success has a crime behind it. Any success that is traceable to any form of criminality is itself illegal in the sight of God, and cannot pass as real success.

True success is achieved by belief in God, a dint of hard work, dogged determination, and integrity of heart.

And mind you, real success is not measured by landed properties, fat bank accounts, privately owned jets, beautiful mansions and fleet of cars that one may have in his possessions, but by one's legacy of love for humanity, and eternal investments that one is able to make in the lives of others.

God is the sole source of true success. Moses says, "But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth…" (Dt.8:18). God is the giver of power for wealth and all other forms of success. Jesus Christ says, "For without me ye can do nothing" (Jh.15:5). Nothing is achievable without divine enabling. Paul says, "For in him we live, and move, and have our being…" (Act.17:28). God is the very center and foundation of human existence. He is life's driving force. Peter says to Christ, "Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing…" (Lk.5:5). They labored in vain even with all the energy and professionalism they had, but the Lord Jesus Christ stepped in and changed their story. Truly, God is the source of success, and He wants you to succeed in anything you do.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter