A FORMULA FOR SUCCESS

by Jim Corner

Would you consider John Elway and his fellow Denver Broncos a success? Well, it all depends on how you define success. They have worked hard for a trophy that will not last, for a ring that will not last, for fame that will not last and for money that will not last. The majority of people in our world measure success in terms of money or power or popularity. The problem with all of these is that they have no lasting value. There is one overriding thing that will determine if I was a success: where will I spend eternity?

The Lord has always wanted His people to be successful and He has always provided the resources necessary to be a success. When Joshua prepared to lead God's people into the promise land, the Lord wanted Joshua to be successful so He gave him a foolproof formula for success. You can read it in Joshua 1:8: "do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful."

The Lord said that success is based on both our knowledge of the Word of God and our obedience to that Word. Joshua was instructed to constantly be in touch with the Word of God. The word meditate is an interesting word. This word was used to refer to a cow chewing the cud. If you've ever seen a cow eat, you know that they chew and chew and chew and chew. The Lord is telling Joshua that he needs to spend great periods of time thinking about the Word of God.

Meditation is a lost art in our fast paced society today. As soon as we finish one task it is on to another and we end up needing 26 hour days. If we hope to be successful, we must take the time to meditate on the Word of God. This may be nothing more than taking a few verses and sitting down in a quiet place and thinking about what God is saying.

It is not enough, however, to simply know the Word of God. We must obey the Word. I may know how to quote great amounts of scripture, I may even know the answer to hundreds of Bible questions but if I do not obey the Word, my knowledge is of no value. Jesus condemned some of the religious leaders of His day because they taught the truth but did not practice it. I must make it my aim to attempt to follow the Word of God as well as know it. The Lord has always expected obedience from His people and today is no exception.

The Lord told Joshua that if he would study and obey the Word, then he would be prosperous and successful. The formula for success has not changed. As many pursue fame and fortune today, they are chasing that which can only end in failure. If I go to Hell, it will not matter how rich or popular I was in this life. We need to see that the road to Heaven is a road that requires that we study and obey the Word of God.

©2001 Buckingham Road Church of Christ