How do you know when you have become successful? By what measurement do you gauge your accomplishments?
We often get wrapped up in the expected cycle of our culture. Go to school to the highest grade, graduate. Go to another school to the highest grade, graduate. Get a job to the highest level, promote. Get another job to the highest level, promote. And on and on we go. So do you ever wonder when you're done? Is it retirement? Death? Are we busy doing life rather than living it?
And if so what do you miss out on by trying to get to the top level of every circumstance? or rather, who do you miss?
I'm not saying that success is a bad thing. But moving up the ladder blindly to the next ladder without checking out those around you can be dangerous.
In the book of 2 Peter 1:5-7 we are given a ladder to help us in progress in God's kingdom.
"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Start climbing
2 comments:
That is a lesson well learned in your youth... Zig Ziglar once said, "If you help enough other people get what they want, then you will get what you want." Perhaps one of the fastest ways to reach the top is to help someone else make it up their ladder. I ladder-climbed for years; and then my ladder was "eliminated". At that point I was consumed with finding another ladder, instead of helping someone else along the way. Four eliminated ladders later, I am starting to get the picture--I hope! Finally had to ask myself "Whose kingdom are you building anyway?" Believing that you always have to be in 'survival mode' is a dead end perception. Nor should it be the perceived reality for those of us in the Kingdom. Perhaps success then can only be measured in how many other peoples lives we enhance... As you have freely received, so freely give.
well put. I have a friend who talks about kingdom living today. I love that. It's something I strive for. Live today as if you were in Jesus presence, because you are.
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