How Do You Define Success?
Dear Friends,
Today's post follows on quite nicely from my previous one.
I have an ever growing list of favourite bible verses and sometimes God likes to grab my attention with a verse I've not really thought about much previously. He does this by making sure I've noticed, seen and read it 2 or 3 times. He's done this over the last few weeks of January with the following verse. It's a verse that I'm going to take for myself for 2014 and keep reminding myself of regularly.
Proverbs 16:3 "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans." (NIV) The Amplified bible puts it like this: "Roll your works upon the Lord (commit and trust them wholly to him, he will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to his will, and) so shall your plans be established and succeed."
God has created you and me, designed us specifically with personalities, gifts and abilities, strengths and weaknesses so that we can do the things he has planned for us to do. That's why it says in Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." (NLT) It's these good things that God has called us to do and that we are to commit to him. We need to understand that Proverbs 16:3 is not about going to God with our plans, our dreams, our ideas about what we want to do and then expecting him to bless what we've already decided to do. Rather it's about learning from God what his plan is for us, committing it to God, placing it in his care and asking him to establish it.
What does it mean to commit these works to God? I believe it's about us letting go of them, rather than holding tightly onto them, handing over control to God. It's about trusting in his grace and love, having the confidence to leave them in his care and safe-keeping, entrusting them to him, and being dependent and reliant on him. One way of doing this is by taking it to him in prayer and leaving it with him.
We are only able to truly commit it to God when we have surrendered ourselves - our desires, our wants, and by submitting to him as Lord of our lives. Letting go is not easy, so often we want our own way, we want control, we want our say as to what is the best way to go about it, but when we do give it over to God , when we have first surrendered to God, something wonderful is able to happen. The second part of the verse in Proverbs tells us what that is: "and he [that's God] will establish your plans." (NIV) or put another way: "and so shall your plans be established and succeed." (Amp) What a wonderful promise! God is the one to establish our plans (those plans that are in keeping with his will). The world would have us believe that to be successful we need to have total control over our own lives, focus on what we want to achieve, not worry about hurting others when trying to reach the top, that the ends justifies the means etc. But we learn from God's word that true success comes when we surrender to God, when we commit our plans, our dreams, our works to him, and say, Lord, you are in control of this, my faith is in you and your will, I am confident that these things are safe in your care. The only way to have our plans established and to experience success is to commit our work, our selves, everything to God.
If you were to look up the word "established" in the thesaurus you would see the words achieve, succeed, thrive, prosper. This is what God wants for each of us as we live and do the things he created us for. This is how one dictionary defines establish "to achieve success, so that people recognise your skill, qualities, or power". However, when our plans are established by God, others will recognise that our achievement is all because of him, that what we do points to God and brings him glory. We need to remember that it's not about us, it's all about him.
To Think About:
What do you think God may be telling you to commit to him so that he can establish it for you? You may like to write out that verse in Proverbs 16 as a reminder and encouragement to you.
What steps do you need to put in place to take you to the place where God can establish your plans?
You may find it helpful to share what you believe God is wanting you to do, with a close friend or mature Christian friend who can give some advice and make suggestions as well as support and encourage you. They can also help to keep you on track and keep persevering.
Vicki
Today's post follows on quite nicely from my previous one.
I have an ever growing list of favourite bible verses and sometimes God likes to grab my attention with a verse I've not really thought about much previously. He does this by making sure I've noticed, seen and read it 2 or 3 times. He's done this over the last few weeks of January with the following verse. It's a verse that I'm going to take for myself for 2014 and keep reminding myself of regularly.
Proverbs 16:3 "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans." (NIV) The Amplified bible puts it like this: "Roll your works upon the Lord (commit and trust them wholly to him, he will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to his will, and) so shall your plans be established and succeed."
God has created you and me, designed us specifically with personalities, gifts and abilities, strengths and weaknesses so that we can do the things he has planned for us to do. That's why it says in Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." (NLT) It's these good things that God has called us to do and that we are to commit to him. We need to understand that Proverbs 16:3 is not about going to God with our plans, our dreams, our ideas about what we want to do and then expecting him to bless what we've already decided to do. Rather it's about learning from God what his plan is for us, committing it to God, placing it in his care and asking him to establish it.
What does it mean to commit these works to God? I believe it's about us letting go of them, rather than holding tightly onto them, handing over control to God. It's about trusting in his grace and love, having the confidence to leave them in his care and safe-keeping, entrusting them to him, and being dependent and reliant on him. One way of doing this is by taking it to him in prayer and leaving it with him.
We are only able to truly commit it to God when we have surrendered ourselves - our desires, our wants, and by submitting to him as Lord of our lives. Letting go is not easy, so often we want our own way, we want control, we want our say as to what is the best way to go about it, but when we do give it over to God , when we have first surrendered to God, something wonderful is able to happen. The second part of the verse in Proverbs tells us what that is: "and he [that's God] will establish your plans." (NIV) or put another way: "and so shall your plans be established and succeed." (Amp) What a wonderful promise! God is the one to establish our plans (those plans that are in keeping with his will). The world would have us believe that to be successful we need to have total control over our own lives, focus on what we want to achieve, not worry about hurting others when trying to reach the top, that the ends justifies the means etc. But we learn from God's word that true success comes when we surrender to God, when we commit our plans, our dreams, our works to him, and say, Lord, you are in control of this, my faith is in you and your will, I am confident that these things are safe in your care. The only way to have our plans established and to experience success is to commit our work, our selves, everything to God.
If you were to look up the word "established" in the thesaurus you would see the words achieve, succeed, thrive, prosper. This is what God wants for each of us as we live and do the things he created us for. This is how one dictionary defines establish "to achieve success, so that people recognise your skill, qualities, or power". However, when our plans are established by God, others will recognise that our achievement is all because of him, that what we do points to God and brings him glory. We need to remember that it's not about us, it's all about him.
To Think About:
What do you think God may be telling you to commit to him so that he can establish it for you? You may like to write out that verse in Proverbs 16 as a reminder and encouragement to you.
What steps do you need to put in place to take you to the place where God can establish your plans?
You may find it helpful to share what you believe God is wanting you to do, with a close friend or mature Christian friend who can give some advice and make suggestions as well as support and encourage you. They can also help to keep you on track and keep persevering.
Vicki
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