The Key To Success

This morning was another one of those times when I awoke very early and could not seem to fall back asleep again!  Many different subjects ranged through my mind, but one particular scripture kept reoccurring.  It was almost like I was viewing that portion of God’s truth in my  Bible study program on the screen of my mind.  That verse in the Modern King James Version reads “For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”  (2 Timothy 1:7)

Power, love and a sound mind.  The more I thought on those words, the slower they passed across the eyes and ears of my inner understanding.  God’s miraculous power and ability for us to overcome all obstacles and to face all dangers.  His love that drives out fear, and a sound mind that defines to us “a clear understanding, a sound judgment, a rectified will, holy passions, and heavenly tempers.  In a word, the whole soul (or our entire being) harmonized in all its powers and faculties; and completely regulated and influenced so as to think, speak and act aright in all things.”  (Adam Clarke’s commentary on 2 Timothy 1:7 – parenthesis mine) 

Those definitions bring us right back to the destiny or calling that our heavenly Father has designed for each of us to fulfill in this life.  His power, His love and the soundness of mind that He gives to us are the very tools that we have at our disposal from His heavenly arsenal.  When our dependence drifts away from ourselves and becomes fixed on Him, we become empowered to remove all road blocks and walk triumphantly along His paths of glory.

I can remember many incidents throughout my life when I was given a task to perform that I had no idea in the natural how to accomplish.  These different incidents ranged from ministry projects, to budget projections in the electronics industry that I worked in for twenty years, to parenting issues.  It doesn’t really matter what you do, there will always be opportunities that stretch your physical and mental capabilities.  In each of these situations I had to yield the care of the task into the hands of our loving heavenly Father because it was well beyond what I could offer within the extent of my experience, education or practical know how!  And in each of these applications I was given the wisdom, knowledge and understanding to accomplish what was asked of me.

You could say that I had an advantage that some of my co-workers did not subscribe to.  You have that same advantage available to you.  It is called His grace, or simply stated, His divine influence in your life.  All a Christian has to do is to ask, listen and then obey.

I can also remember some opportunities that I missed in my life because I let the fear of failure and the doubt of my own abilities to rob me of the chance to succeed through His power, love and the soundness of mind that He alone can give to me.  Don’t let that be your testimony at the end of the day.  Keep ever foremost in your mind the truth that “God has NOT given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind!”  Stay tuned and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting TO SUCCEED IN today?”