“Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it
to pass” (Psalm 37:5).
I recently heard a prominent (and prosperous) man discussing success.
During the brief segment of the discussion I chanced to catch on television,
he stated that for a long time he had feared he might never become a
success.
As I listened I wondered, knowing a little about his background, if he
really knew what success was. How does each of us define success? What
is success? And is God’s definition of success the same as ours?
We’ve heard much in the past few years about this subject. Everyone
covets success. And in honesty and within proper bounds, there is nothing
wrong with aspiring to be successful.
Perhaps it was Norman Vincent Peale who started this with his book,
written several decades ago, The Power of Positive Thinking. Since then,
we’ve been inundated with books of this type (and a rash of articles) all
promoting methods for achieving success.
We’ve heard a lot about “possibility thinking”—how to be a winner. A
book was written some time ago entitled I’m Okay, You’re Okay. Then
another came along, Winning Through Intimidation. In other words, what
was being promoted was success at any cost!
Are these books valid? Are the philosophies they promote acceptable?
Much of the present-day faith ministry has been skewed in this direction.
There are literally thousands of books and articles on how to receive
healing, how to be successful, God’s secret for prosperity, and how to find
general happiness. As a matter of fact, as I sit here writing this, a copy of
one preacher’s book, God’s Guarantee, lies on my desk. Some of these
books and articles contain valuable truth. Others, however, are worth little
more than the paper on which they’re printed.
Before we proceed any further I would like to say this: If, in looking at
the title of this article (God’s Formula For Success), you thought it would
tell you how to acquire automobiles, diamonds, riches, and so forth, you
will be disappointed. On the other hand, if you choose to read further, there is a definite likelihood that a nugget of truth will be uncovered that could lead you to God’s definition of success—as revealed in His written Word.
Excerpt from God’s Formula for Success by Jimmy Swaggart