Today our culture is dominated by the concept of success. It is the measuring stick by which we measure whether or not we have a good life. Am I a success?
However, the Bible is very limited on its use of that word. In fact, it is only used once in the entirety of the Scriptures, and it is found in Joshua 1:8. The Bible states, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”
In this passage, God himself is speaking to Joshua and is giving him the inside track on what creator God views as success. Success quite simply is following the Word of God. God communicates to us in this passage that God who is at work in our lives will lead us onto the path that will bring us great success!
Unfortunately, not a lot of us are patient enough for this process. In this age of instant-everything, we desire large, immediate change. Too often, we convince ourselves that massive success requires massive action. Whether it is losing weight, building a business, writing a book, winning a championship, or achieving any other goal, we put pressure on ourselves to make some earth-shattering improvement that everyone will talk about. This is not realistic or even sustainable.
Success begins with a mindset dedicated to the concept of the aggregation of marginal gains. In laymen terms, the building over time of small victories. This is how our Christian life grows. Each day we should seek to become a little better spiritually, a little more like Christ.
This concept makes Joshua 1:8 not just a desire but an accomplishable task. Make the conscious choice to make God’s Word a priority and then allow it the ability to begin to make small changes in your life. Fixing a mindset here or adjusting an attitude there doesn’t seem like a big deal, but will eventually build up to life-changing decisions making us more like Christ.
- Bro Derek Whitman