God helps His Children to Succeed

I love success. It feels good. God does not want his children to fail. God wants to help you progress in your work with your talents.

Jesus told of a rich man who entrusted three of his servants each with a considerable sum of money. They were to invest the money productively. They were to act wisely and diligently.

When the rich man returned from a long journey, the first two servants had invested with great success.

The first servant reported, ‘Master, I invested your money and made ten times the original amount!’ 

“ ‘Well done!’ the king exclaimed. ‘You are a good servant. You have been faithful with the little I entrusted to you, so you will be governor of ten cities as your reward.’ Luke 19:16–17 NLT

“The next servant reported, ‘Master, I invested your money and made five times the original amount.’ Luke 19:18 NLT

But the third was frightened and did not want to take any chances.

“But the third servant brought back only the original amount of money and said, ‘Master, I hid your money and kept it safe.

I was afraid because you are a hard man to deal with, taking what isn’t yours and harvesting crops you didn’t plant.’ Luke 19:20–21 NLT

The rich man was angry and the anxious servant was fired.

Many say that Jesus accomplished everything on the cross and there is nothing we can do to earn our salvation.

This is certainly true. But a wise preacher once said:

Jesus didn't accomplish everything so that you could accomplish nothing. (Bill Johnson)

Success is good, but not always good.

If you use your talents to build a big pornography company, like Hugh Hefner, the founder of Playboy, you will burn in hell unless you repent and receive God's forgiveness.

If you use your spiritual gifts to build a big church and get rich, but the members look to you instead of reaching out to the world as followers of Jesus, you go to heaven when you die, but not as a faith hero.

Success is good if your success is the work of God in you, through you and with you.

I love success. It feels good. God doesn't want his children to fail. God wants to help you progress in your work with your talents.

If your work is his work and your success is His success, you will be really successful.