Posted on

Those who listen will succeed!

Success in God’s Kingdom is different from what the world considers success. Many today view success as being famous and making a lot of money. Whereas, in the Kingdom of God, good success is accomplishing what God has placed in our hands. It’s accomplishing our purpose in life, and this purpose provides eternal benefits to those around us. Also, God is pleased when we accomplish his purpose, and calls us “good and faithful servants.”  Proverbs 16:20 (EXB) says: “Whoever listens to what is taught [has insight] will succeed [prosper], and whoever trusts the Lord will be happy [blessed].” Notice that the verse highlights the importance of being teachable. If we “listen to what is taught,” this will give us divine perspective and insight, and it will cause us to prosper. Insight is a deeper kind of wisdom and intuition that lets you see beyond the current circumstances or conditions. People with this kind of insight can spot hidden opportunities. They can also endure strong opposition  or criticism because they can see the benefits beyond the current struggle. And this eventually leads them to overcome and thrive in the midst of difficult and uncertain conditions. When we trust the Lord, we are asking Him to take the steering wheel of our lives and help us to navigate through the current storms or processes of life. When we do that, we will be blessed indeed!

Proverbs 16:20 (EXB) “Whoever listens to what is taught [has insight] will ·succeed [prosper], and whoever trusts the Lord will be happy [blessed].”

Posted on

Stop with the excuses already!

Since Adam, excuses have existed. Excuses are a natural reaction to being caught in a lie or failure, or not wanting to accept responsibility. Adam told God this famous statement: “Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate” (Genesis 3:12). Adam refused to take responsibility for Eve’s actions, yet God had clearly told him not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The problem with the habit of making excuses is that they keep you from the very actions and mindset that will propel you to great accomplishment and effective influence. It will keep you stunted emotionally, socially, and even in business.  People do not respect those who are always utilizing excuses to not take care of their responsibilities. Most will simply “blame-shift” so that the perception will seem to be that it’s not their fault. It’s always someone else’s fault. Think about this: Adam made excuses instead of embracing his responsibility, thus he allowed sin to enter his life. So now his legacy is known as the man who helped to release sin onto mankind. Conversely, the Lord Jesus accepted responsibility for mankind, thus His legacy is that He loved us so much that He died for us, and made a way for us to be delivered from sin and death. One is unrighteous; the other is righteous. One refused his responsibility; the other accepted responsibility. One made excuses; the other refused to make excuses and did what was needed to redeem mankind. Adam’s name is infamous because of his refusal to accept responsibility; Jesus’ name is great and is the name above all names. So, what’s your excuse?

Ecclesiastes 5:6 “Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error. Why should God be angry at your excuse and destroy the work of your hands?”