 If there was ever a man who was in the "rat race," it was Solomon. The book of Ecclesiastes leads us to believe that Solomon realized, at the end of his life, that he was in that race. He had been very busy and was highly accomplished, yet his heart finally turned from the Lord. Only at the end of his life did he realize (as Paul had earlier in his life) that his "gain" was worth nothing. Solomon realized, as Pat Morley has said, "no one wins the rat race." A friend of mine further commented that even if you do win, you're still a rat." The following video is the first of a series by Pat Morley called, "Man in the Mirror Remix." It's based on his fantastic book by the same title (minus the "remix"). Our men's groups at the church I serve have been studying Ecclesiastes. As I was reading through Morley's table of contents I realized that his book is a modern day Ecclesiastes, without all the despair and with much more help. You should check it out at the following link. And enjoy the video. Part 1 of The Man in the Mirror Remix by Pat Morley Produced by Man in the Mirror Ministries
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 Several years ago I read Tommy Newberry’s book, Success Is Not An Accident. In the first chapter he asks why some Christians seem to be so allergic to the idea of success. He, along with others I’ve read, (such as John Maxwell), suggests the reason probably has something to do with what people are thinking when they hear the word, “success.”
If you think of success only in terms of worldly definitions, then I join you in your concern. However, biblically understood, success doesn’t have to (and absolutely shouldn’t) be lumped into secular categories of materialistic accumulation, or its baptized cousin, the "health and wealth" gospel. At the end of Chapter One, Newberry asks some basic questions to get the reader thinking about what their definition of success is. I thought the questions were good and worth reflecting upon. (I encourage you to buy his book and work through it as well. At the very least, ask yourself these same questions and think about how you would answer them.) Here was one of the questions that caught my attention... Question: “What does success mean to you? Are you successful now? Do you feel successful? How do you define true success?’ Answer: Success, for me, means faithfully and obediently living each day as the man God created, redeemed, called, and gifted me to be. This is a lifelong pursuit, in which trust in God and dependence upon his Spirit is vital and definitely required. I have found I am more or less consistent based on my walk with the Lord. The closer I am with him, (that is, the more often I am with him, walking with him, talking to him, listening to him, reading his Word, communing with him, etc.), the more successful I am. I can be “successful” or “unsuccessful” in measurable ways with regard to short-term goals and duties. But “ultimate success,” as I said, will be the pursuit of a lifetime. And yet, I suppose I might be considered successful if I continuously and consistently move in the direction of faithfulness to God’s calling in my life. I will never infallibly fulfill it, but moving forward into my calling (and according to my giftedness) is a positive thing. Seeking to obediently fulfill God’s will for my life is a good thing. Eugene Peterson called this sort of thing, “a long obedience in the same direction,” and so it is. There is also the issue of being successful in the various spheres of my life: Personally (that is, spiritual, physical, intellectual, emotional, financial, etc.), relationally (i.e., as a husband, a father, friend, neighbor, citizen, etc.), and professionally (as a pastor, in it’s great variety of manifestations). Again, my level of “success” (according to the definition I’ve given) varies from sphere to sphere, better in some areas and needing improvement in others. Jesus said to become great ("successful??") we must become servants. John the Baptist reminds us that Jesus must become greater and we must become lesser. That's moving in the direction of success indeed. Grace and Truth, Dale |
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