Success

SUCCESS

What is the right key to success?

Everyone yearns to be a successful person , including myself . I was disappointed, discouraged when I found myself not in the path of success.

Today, I was strongly distressed and disappointed with myself . I was struck down by the thought that , I'm leaving too far away from Success.

Then , later tonight, God spoke through my environment and the friends I knew, they encouraged me although they did not know I was disappointed. Thanks to them, now I don't find myself as non-successful , yet it inspires me to reflect on " How do we define Success " ?

To each one of us, Success is measured in quantities or in amounts . Example, our achievements and awards will define how successful you are. However, Success in quantities does not bring any contentment , it brings greed , it deprives you to ask for more, and if you don't , you will sink into the torrents of disappointment. That's how I felt today.

God does not define the same way as we do. To God, no matter how much quantities or amounts you do, there will never be enough. Who can earn grace through deeds ? God defines success as how much have you done according to God's will and purpose. God does not ask for how many awards you have, he ask for how much will you do for him , how much have you done for him.

This is what comforts me when I knew that, although I'm may not be perfect in all ways , I admit that I'm not the best compared to others . But , at the very least, I had done something that pleases God , and that is my success.

Are you still measuring success with quantities or using God's measures ?

God bless !

The Right Approach

THE RIGHT APPROACH

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”
( 1 John 5 : 14-15 )

what will you say when Jesus asks what he can do for you ?

This afternoon, I came across to the verse above when I was surfing the internet . It inspired me with a thought - making the right approach .

I believe everyone had the experience of ordering set meals in a restaurant. The first sentence that most waiter or waitress will pop out is " What can I help you ?" or " May I help you ?".

In the same way, Jesus is asking everyone of us " What can I help you ?", but not all of us make the right approach.

What will you tell the waiter when he asked what can he do ? We will tell him what we wanted to order.

However, this does not happen in our prayers to God. When God ask what can he do for us , usually we beat around the bush . We thought or expected that God will know what we need. But that's not the right approach. Most people dare not to bring their needs to Jesus - simply because they do not have the confidence in God's providence and faithfulness , they are afraid of disappointment.

We make the right approach simply by telling what we need and believe in him. There's once when Jesus healed a blind man in Jericho. Jericho is a city that does not know God , and in the Bible , Jericho is a city that carries God's curse. Why did Jesus walked there ? Because he knew that someone needs him.

God knows our every needs, but he will not granted them unless we bring it before him.

When the blind man heard of Jesus , he immediately shouted for Jesus's help. Here's the interesting part of the story ,

Jesus : " What can I do for you "?
Blind : " I want to see ."
Jesus: " So shall it be " .

From here, we see the blind man made the right approach. He directly told his needs to Jesus Christ and he got what he wanted ! Sometimes, I had to admit that I don't make the right approach too ! I beat around the bush when I'm expressing my needs - simply because I'm too shy to tell Jesus about them.

Friends, stop being shy with Jesus Christ. He knows you and he understand your needs. 

Now, Jesus is asking you " What can I do for you " ? Do make the right approach - tell him your needs , your doubts , everything.

Lastly,  may Hebrews 4 : 16 be an encouragement for you to make the right approach ,

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

God Bless !