THE RECIPE FOR REAL SUCCESS
Sakkie Parsons
Translated from Afrikaans: “Die resep vir ware sukses”
Translator: Robin Barker
One day a fairly dispirited man was speaking to me and He asked me:
“Why is nothing I do a success?
Why is God not helping me? Does He not want to help me, or what?”
Now I know this person very well and on the face of it, it almost looks like his desperation seems to have merit.
For the reason that he has tackled many things to make money, so many attempts that I cannot remember all of them.
Because I know him very well, in totally frankness I can say, in everything that he has tackled, he has made one great mistake – he has never put our Lord first. To tell the truth, in everything which he undertook, he was and sometimes his family, number one.
In a Christian's life there is according to my opinion never something more fatal for oneself, than to make oneself number one.
Even if you see yourself as number one and outwardly look like you have made a success of your life – the only success you have made is literally a hell of a success.
In other words you are busy making a great success, so to say helping satan successfully to prepare a place for you in hell.
Because, all your so called success is going to remain behind – while you spend the rest of eternity, for eternity in hell.
On occasion Jesus explained what I am going to share with you now:
LUKE 12:15-21
15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest.
17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain.
19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
So, what is the answer? Or respectfully saying.
What is the real recipe for success?
MATT 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Someone may now ask:
“How can I through self-examination determine if I am going about things correctly, in the eyes of our Lord, to strive for success in the correct manner?”
Then for me the most simplest way to determine this –
Listen to yourself when you pray.
For who or what do I pray first?
Do you remember how Jesus taught us to pray?
MATT 6:9 This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
MATT 6:10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven
In my prayer it must firstly be about our Lord and His kingdom.
Then, Jesus teaches us, then only do I pray about the other things.
To say it another way, when I do the most important things in my day –
Am I number one, or is our Lord number one?
Do I speak first about what is important to me and then, maybe what is important to our Lord?
Like the lost world around me, for which His Son walked to Golgotha.
You see, in absolutely everything I think, say, do or plan, ought our Lord to be number one.
According to my understanding this is the key to true peace.
Someone may say:
“I thought you were speaking of success, now you are talking about peace.”
I am saying, that no success is success without real peace and real true peace is only obtainable in one way.
The New King James Version:
MATT 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
What is the lovely, all-encompassing ingredient of true success?
JOHN 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
This recipe does not say that you will win the next Lotto draw, or that tomorrow or the day after, you will drive around in a luxury motor vehicle, but part of this success includes:
You will be joint heirs with Jesus.
The Eternal life.
Also while you are still here on earth, all the peace that goes with it.
PHIL 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
PHIL 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
So, come let you and me do this every day, which just a daft person and he who strives for success will not do –
MATT 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Greetings,
Sakkie