Success in God's Eyes

Success in God's EyesBy Thomas E. BrewtonReal success is following God's will, not making lots of money.Sunday's sermon at the Long Ridge Congregational Church (non-UCC) in  North Stamford, Connecticut, was delivered by Rev. Steve Treash.  His  message dealt with success in the things that really matter.While confidence is, by some measures, thought to be the best  predictor of academic and business success, it too easily becomes  exclusively self-confidence.  As with Peter's wanting to walk across  the water to meet Jesus, that sort of confidence falters the moment  we take our eyes off Jesus as our savior.  We begin to sink and can  be saved only by calling for the Lord's help.True success in this life is doing God's will to the best of our  abilities.The Old Testament story of Joseph in Egypt illustrates the right kind  of confidence that leads to success.Joseph had endured a string of grave misfortunes.  His older brothers  resented his ostentatiously seeking to be their father's favorite  son.  The brothers took his bright coat and threw Joseph into a well,  intending to leave him there to die.  When a caravan bound for Egypt  appeared, the brothers hauled Joseph out of the well and sold him to  the caravan merchants as a slave.In that adversity Joseph learned that his real strength came from  having confidence in God and trusting Him to show the right thing to do."Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who  was one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard, bought him  from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.  The LORD was with  Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian  master.  When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the  LORD gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his  eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his  household, and he entrusted to his care everything he  owned." (Genesis 39:1-4)Potiphar's wife falsely accused Joseph of sexual misconduct with her,  and Joseph was thrown into prison.  Once again, Joseph's salvation  was his unwavering confidence in God."Joseph's master took him and put him in prison, the place where the  king's prisoners were confined.  But while Joseph was there in the  prison, the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him  favor in the eyes of the prison warden.  So the warden put Joseph in  charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible  for all that was done there.  The warden paid no attention to  anything under Joseph's care, because the LORD was with Joseph and  gave him success in whatever he did."  (Genesis 39: 20-23)The same pattern was repeated and Joseph later became Pharaoh's chief  lieutenant in administrative charge of the Egyptian government.   Throughout all of his ups and downs, Joseph maintained steadfast  confidence that God had a purpose and that he must follow God's  will.  This understanding was clearly revealed in the climactic scene  when his famine-stricken brothers come to Egypt pleading for food and  are shown into Joseph's presence."Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me." When they had  done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into  Egypt!  And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with  yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God  sent me ahead of you."  (Genesis 45: 4-5)Along with confidence in God, we must have resilience, vigilance, and  reverence that allows us to maintain our focus on God's will and to  forgive our transgressors, as Joseph did his brothers.We must be vigilant to seek God's guidance in keeping to proper moral  standards and in fighting off temptation.  The Apostle Paul, writing  to the church in Corinth, reminds them of the historical tribulations  of the Israelites and how God repeatedly delivered them from temptation."No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God  is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you  can stand up under it."  (1 Corinthians 10:13)As Paul counseled Timothy, worldly success is not the goal:"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing  into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have  food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to  get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and  harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the  love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for  money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many  griefs."But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness,  godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good  fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were  called when you made your good confession in the presence of many  witnesses."  (1 Timothy 6: 6-12)Thomas E. Brewton is a staff writer for the New Media Alliance, Inc.  The New Media Alliance is a non-profit (501c3) national coalition of  writers, journalists and grass-roots media outlets.His weblog is THE VIEW FROM 1776http://www.thomasbrewton.com/Email comments to viewfrom1776@thomasbrewton.com

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