As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
“God wants us to understand our anger by speaking to our souls, by contemplating the anger in silence, and then by doing the next right thing. And this will demonstrate by our acts that we trust in Yahweh, and not in our own devises.” - TGC
“How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway with sinners or sit in the company of mockers! Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night” (Psalm 1:1-2, CSB) - Randy Alcorn
Google the phrase “What is success” and you will get 1.13 billion results. I’d like to examine each of those with you today (not really). Much has been said about success. Everybody seems to want it, but it is surprising how few actually can define it.
One dictionary defines success as “the accomplishment of an aim or purpose, the attainment of popularity or profit, or a person or thing that achieves desired aims or attains prosperity.” But what should be the aim or purpose? And how do we define prosperity?
Some suggest success changes with age:
“I cannot tell you how often I’ve turned to these biblical texts to strengthen my faith in a battle. Maybe they’ll help you, too” - Chuck Lawless
“When I finished speaking, a long line of people formed to ask questions…. they all asked me versions of the same exact question: ‘How do I get my kids to look away from their phone and engage?’” - Word by Word
“You were made to work. But you weren’t made to only work. ‘The seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God: in it thou shalt not do any work.’” - Ref21
“Understanding that our peak doesn’t come in this life should radically change our view of deteriorating health, which otherwise would produce discouragement, regret, anger, envy, and resentment.” - Randy Alcorn
“Are the interests of our time dictating what is of greatest interest to us? If so, then surrender to God’s rule, not reinvention of our own, is the order of the day.” - Mere Orthodoxy
In my five decades of attending Bible-preaching churches I’ve heard precisely one sermon series on work. It was my own, and was pretty weak.
It’s possible that the topic has been receiving systematic attention all over the place all these years, and I’ve just managed to miss nearly all of it. But I think not.
“What could be better than for Him to not only love us so much that He would die for us, but to actually call us His friends, and not just servants?… (John 15:15).” - Randy Alcorn
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