THE SUCCESS-MINDED PERSON & THE CHRISTIAN Part 1

 “I know what I’m doing.  I have it all planned out – plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.” – Jeremiah 29:11

“That world outside there is not waiting for a new definition of Christianity.  It’s waiting for a new demonstration of Christianity.” – Leonard Ravenhill

Whenever you talk about Success-Minded People and Christians in the same breath you will have controversy.  Let’s face it: many Christians have a problem with the idea of success.  They see it as worldly, void of Christian values and a distraction to our following God.  Where I agree that those things do exists, that is more from the non-Christian point of view, not from those who claim Christ as Lord in their life.  Believe it or not, you can be a Christian and a Success-Minded Person at the same time.

To start with, there are several myths that some Christians have that really need to be removed and the truth be realized.  Just because you may have embraced the truth of the gospel does not mean you realize the truths of life.  Many Christians walk around blind to the world the Lord has set them in.  Rather than bringing the lost into the kingdom or transforming the world by being salt and light, they see the lost as unworthy of the riches of Christ, try to impress the world with their piety and stay so cloistered in their little communities (churches) they do not affect nor change the world around them.

On the other hand, there are those who are so sold out on the idea of prosperity and success that they become like the world in order to move forward.  They claim to be Success-Minded People who are Christians but you have to be told they are believers in order to know it.  There is nothing in their lives that show the reality of Christ, or the qualities that make one a believer.  It is possible for a person (many of them really) to be Success-Minded and a Christian in personal harmony and self-fulfillment.

Christian author and speaker Larry Randolph said, “It is not the strongest Christian that succeeds, or the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”  To understand what it means to be a Success-Minded Christian you must be willing to change the way you think.  A closed mind is never an avenue for God to do a work.  When we shut ourselves off to anything other than what we want to believe, we can no longer hear the direction given by the Holy Spirit.  Yes, there is a truth that cannot be changed, that is the word of God. However, we are not talking about doctrine here, we are talking about being what God has called us to be and who God has called us to be.

 

First, let’s go over some facts about those who see themselves as Success-Minded People:  (You can find this in detail in my article, What is a Success-Minded Person?)

• Success-Minded People take control of their life and pursue the fulfillment of their dreams and purpose.
• Success-Minded People know that true success is not based on money, power or fame.
• Success-Minded People know that successful habits will bring their own rewards.
• Success-Minded People understand that there are principals of success that must be followed to be truly successful.
• Success-Minded People know that personal character and right behavior are necessary for true success.
• Success-Minded People have vision and a hope for something better for themselves and for the world they live in.
• Success-Minded People have a positive and cheerful attitude. They are an encouragement to all they meet.
• Success-Minded People are servants to others.
• Success-Minded People are confident and believe in their dreams and their ability to achieve them.
• Success-Minded People are life-long learners and keep a teachable heart.
• Success-Minded People know that there is nothing more important than their relationship with Jesus Christ and live to serve and bring glory to His name daily.

             Now let’s look at some facts about what it means to be a Christian:

• Christians are people who have accepted Jesus Christ as their person Lord and savior.
• Christians know that they are sinners by nature and needed the sacrifice of Christ on the cross to pay for their sins and redeem them back to God.
• Christians hold these truths:

            I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth

            And in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, our Lord

            Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary

            Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried

He descended into hell

The third day He rose again from the dead

He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty

From thence He shall judge the living and the dead

I believe in the Holy Ghost

The holy Christian Church

The communion of saints

The forgiveness of sins

The resurrection of the body

And the life everlasting

(The Apostles’ Creed)

• Christians know that the Word of God (the Bible) is true and without error.
• Christians know that God has a plan for their lives and that each person on earth has a purpose in that plan.
• Christians know that the values and moral standards set down by the Bible are not subject to change because of culture, times or events.

             I think that if you will look at these two lists you will see that the beliefs of a Success-Minded Person are consistent with that of the Christian and that a person cannot be truly successful without embracing the life-style of the Christian.  Are all Success-Minded People Christians?  Sorry to say no they are not.  President of Back to the Bible, Woodrow Kroll said, “He is a poor man who can only measure his wealth in dollars.”  Are all Christians Success-Minded People?  Again, I am sorry to say they are not.  The great author and Bible teacher A.W. Tozer said, “Refuse to be average.  Let your heart soar as high as it will.”

            The things we must stop doing is thinking that success is all money, power and fame.  Or that being a Christian is all suffering, denial and spiritual.  Both ideas are wrong.  God created us all and has given us all a purpose to fill.  For all the first purpose God has for you is to know His Son Jesus in a personal way.  Scripture tells us that it is not God’s will that any should be lost but all come to repentance.  When Jesus went to the cross and died for our sins it was for the sins of the world, not for a select few.  God wants that relationship with you and to give you a full abundant life.

            The purpose that God has for you to fulfill in life is yours personally.  He has given you a dream, a passion for your life.  For some it is the ministry, to serve in the pulpit, as an evangelist or missionary.  For others (the higher percentage really) it is something that we do in the world we live in.  You may be a business leader, a teacher, a doctor or any profession.  For the Christian, there is no secular work and ministry work.  All we do is ministry because all we do should reflect our service to Christ.

            I want to take some time and look deeper at what makes a Success-Minded Christian.  When I talk of Success-Minded People that is what I am referring to after all.  I do not believe nor do I endorse success outside the influence of Christian beliefs.  Will success principals work for a person who is not a believer in Jesus Christ?  Yes they will.  Success principals are natural laws that work every time they are used.  However, I do not believe a person can be truly successful and not have a relationship with Christ.  It is what you are created for and without it you will always be incomplete.  Next time we will start to break this down and see just what it means to be a Success-Minded Christian.

 © Jack Hickey 2010