Success in the eyes of the world is measured by money and power. Success in
God’s eyes is measured in relationships.
Romans 8:16 & 17a:
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children
of God:
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ;…
By our free will we choose to belong to God, the Heavenly Father, and to
become His children. All it takes is a knowledge of the redemptive work of
Jesus Christ and then, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord
Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the
dead, thou shalt be saved.” (Romans 10:9).
Now we belong fully to God for eternity. What a relationship! It’s not
money and power that gives us success but rather having a relationship with
the Father and living within the love that made it available.
I John 3:1:
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should
be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it
knew him not.
Remember, we have been bought with a price and don’t belong to ourselves
but are fully owned by God, the Father.
I Corinthians 6:19 & 20:
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which
is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in
your spirit, which are God’s.
God called us to this relationship by His own purpose.
II Timothy 1:9:
Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not
according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which
was given us in Christ Jesus before [since] the world began,
A wonderful part of the relationship is His desire to bless us and equip us
to be the best.
II Peter 1:3:
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain
unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to
glory and virtue:
Once we realize our success is in being members of the exclusive family of
God and that He has called us to glory and virtue [superiority in every
respect], the next step is how we function within the One Body of
Christ according to the will of God.
Again, our function in the family of God is not about money, power or
prestige, but walking in love and service to the Body of Christ.
Ephesians 5:1 & 2:
Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for
us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
Galatians 5:13:
For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty
for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
Our challenge now is to function lovingly and effectively in the One Body
of Christ and help others walk in the success of being children of God.
Ephesians 4:14 & 15:
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is
the head, even Christ:
From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which
every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of
every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
The love of God is the cement, the catalyst that makes the relationship
work.
I John 4:9-13:
In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his
only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his
Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in
us, and his love is perfected in us.
Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us
of his Spirit.
Let’s recognize our success in that we belong to God and He belongs to
us. Also, let’s function in the Body of Christ using the wonderful love of
God which “is shed abroad in our hearts.” (Romans 5:5).
Make walking in love your great quest in life.
-Bob Lindfelt
