It is good to be successful but it is better to remain successful. God does not want you to succeed today and fail tomorrow.
Prov. 4:18 -But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
Eccl. 3:14 -I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.
According to God’s word, success has to do with you having your own part to play.
Joshua 1:8 -This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
You are the one that will determine how successful you will be. God has given you the manual for success; it is what you do with it that will determine how far you will go in life.
Success is becoming a plus on daily basis; that is succeeding in succession.
Ex. 18:21 -Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:
When God wants to make you a leader in any field, He looks out for your capacity, competence, excellence, etc. A man of truth in the above scripture characterized a man of character. Therefore, character and excellence are two inevitable factors if success must be maintained.
Psalm 78:72 - So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.
Everywhere in the Bible God wants to take a man to lead, these two qualities must be in place.
Acts 6:3 -Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
Character is actually your hidden behavior. It will enable you to be successful as a person in business and career. If your purpose and vision must be actualized, character must be in place. A noble, stable and strong character makes for lasting success. Everyone’s success is only as safe and secured as his character. When you have what others don’t have, you will stand above them. In the world today, we have many intelligent and skillful people but men of character are very few; so if you have what they don’t have, you will be preferred above them. When you have character, you don’t struggle with people; you succeed above them. Men of character don’t give into compromise. Character is what you are known for; your name goes with your character. May you not be known for evil in Jesus name!
The reason Joseph succeeded despite all the lies told against him in Gen. 39, was because of his character. When you have godly character, even when people lie against you, God will not leave you. Joseph was in prison but God was still with him. God does not leave people of character no matter the challenge they pass through. Joseph never compromised his standard; the fear of God was his watchword. A wise man said, ‘Personality can open doors; only character can keep them open’.
What Joseph had as a challenge, Reuben also had the challenge but he compromised and slept with his father’s concubine in Gen 35:22. If you want lasting success, then work on your character first. Everybody wants to be successful; only few persons have taken time to work on their character.
Gehazi in the Bible had a promising future but he loved money so much that it destroyed him. He was supposed to carry multiplied anointing of Elisha but he ended in leprosy; he lost his ministry and everything attached to it.
Abraham Lincoln said, ‘Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing’.
So, your character is much more than just what you tried to display for others to see; it is who you are when no one is watching. Character is doing the right thing because it is right to do. It is one thing to work for God but another thing to walk with God. You can work for God and not walk with Him. Character makes you walk with God. To walk with God is to have a relationship with Him but when you are working for God, you are only rendering service.
Gen. 5:24 - And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.
You can serve God and not walk with Him. Judas worked for Jesus but never walked with Jesus. To walk with God is superior and more important to God than working for Him. When you walk with God, you are having the nature of God because two cannot walk together except they agree Amos 3:3
John 8:29 - And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.
The devil had no opportunity to attack Jesus because He was always pleasing the Father. If you want to know your true character, check what you do under pressure. You must stand for something in life; otherwise, you will fall for anything. The world will know you for your fruits; not just by your high-sounding principles. In your business, career, political office, etc, make decisions not to sacrifice your principles and values on the altar of compromise. On the day of your challenge, the only legacy that can defend you is your character because money does not solve all problems. Character is very important; build it as a child of God because it has no substitute.
No man can climb beyond the limitation of his own character. Charisma and talent can take you to the top but it is character that will keep you there; talent is not enough. When you take care of your character, God will take care of your reputation. You don’t determine your future; determine your character and your character determines your future. A man without character has no future.
A wise man said - A man who lives right and is right has more power in his silence than another has by his words.
Some of the areas you will be tested for character include:
• Money- How do you handle your financial dealings with God and people?
• Position and power –You never know the true nature of a person until you give him power because power intoxicates.
• Your relationship with opposite and same sex
Excellence is to do a common thing in an uncommon way. It is surpassing others in some good qualities. People of excellence are scarce but they are easy to identify. A wise man said, ‘There are no short-cuts to any place worth going’. Many Christians are tongue-speaking and spirit-filled but lack excellence. Increase in your touch of excellence and everything about your life will also increase. The greater your skill, the better your results because a touch of excellence places a greater value on you and your career than on any other person. Not all professional footballers are paid the same price; even in the same team. Excellence make you succeed more than others. Some people have character but they lack the touch of excellence in their assignment.
After Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream, he was able to proffer solution on how to preserve food – that is excellence. Do not use religion to cover excellence; prayer is no substitute for excellence. Anything you are doing, go and learn how to do it better; if there is no touch of excellence, people will leave you. If you do a job and they don’t call you back, don’t blame the devil for it; know that there was no touch of excellence in it. You cannot terminate the job of a man of excellence; even if you don’t like his face. Always autograph your work; let there be a touch of excellence in anything you do and God will lift you above others in Jesus name –Amen!!!
God bless you....smhos.org