Success

05.28.15

Psalm 118.25

Save us, we pray, O Lord!

    O Lord, we pray, give us success!

I think it’s okay to ask God for the obvious – I think it’s okay to ask Him for what we think we need: food, clothing, shelter; blessing. God knows we need these things and I believe He rejoices to give them to us. A little kid who wants pancakes isn’t concerned with what he thinks his parents think about him: he wants pancakes. Poppa, bless me with some pancakes.

I think when we pray (courageously and honestly) a prayer like the above, what we are really asking is: Lord, keep me from all that is wrong, destructive, and beneath Your good will; and make my life count for something. I think success is measured in worthiness. I think worthiness coupled with righteousness is success. But I also think success in life is something we all want.

We want success in our relationships. We want success in our occupation. We want success in our livelihood. We want success in our spiritual walk. And I think we want success in our efforts. That doesn’t mean magical success, but I think even that is sometimes what we think we want: if only…

I ask God for success all the time. I think it’s incumbent upon me to do so. After all, He is my God, my Father, and my Provider. He’s also my Teacher, my Guide, my Master, and my Lord. Often in our culture, success is measured in dollars and cents. Sometimes, it is measured in pain and loss. God is in charge of my success and He is looking out for my spiritual well-being above and beyond what’s in the bank; or in the grave.

God is looking for success. God intends to rule a faithful people and have them reign upon the earth. God is looking for believers – people who will give Him the respect and honor He deserves. He doesn’t need our honor and respect because He doesn’t need anything; but He looks for those who willingly buy into His ways and strive to fit in. Fitting in in Heaven is going to be successful beyond belief; failure to fit in is going to be (successfully) tragic (Cf. Matthew 22.12).

Today, I am going to trust God for the success I crave and for the success He gives. He knows my heart and I think it would be nice to have some success at some things. But I simply have to ask for them (James 4.2) and trust that in His way, in His time, He will appoint.

Father, thank You for the attention You pay to the lives of the people You love. You want us to succeed as well – it’s in Your nature to do so. I ask for success today. I couple that with my efforts and my abilities (the things You’ve given) and leave the results up to You – amen.