Introduction

Is it wrong to aim for success in life? Is it wrong to be ambitious? Some people feel guilty about this. Others, of course, couldn’t care less. They want to be successful in life no matter what. That’s why personal ambitions drive them. But can we aim for success without compromising our faith? Can we be ambitious and still retain our commitment to Christ? What a lot of people don’t know is that there is such a thing as spiritual success. God wants us to succeed in our lives, spiritually speaking. We cannot become dreamers and doers if we are afraid of ambition and success. But just like our wrong views about God, we must renew our minds concerning true success. In other words, we must aim for spiritual success, not worldly success. How?

Four Steps

1. You must decide your fundamental direction in life. (Romans 2:7-11) – Either you want to live for God’s glory alone or you want other things aside from God. You must decide. You cannot serve two masters. You cannot be successful spiritually if your heart is divided.
2. You must discern your primary calling in life. (Acts 20:22-24; Galatians 2:6-8) – You must make time to discern your primary calling. This begins with your situation in life. Will you be married or will you be single? Then, you must discern how the Lord wants you to serve Him. In a ministry inside a local church? In a missionary setting outside of a local church or in a parachurch organization? In the marketplace?
3. You must embrace your missional assignments in life. (Acts 13:1-3; 16:6-10) – When you know your primary calling, God can lead you to specific ministry assignments. This refers to the exact places where the Lord would want you to serve Him and it may change over time. Once you know where the Lord is assigning you, you must embrace it and do your best to succeed there for God’s glory.
4. You must complete your personal racetrack in life. (2 Timothy 4:1-8) – God has assigned a personal racetrack for each one of us. You cannot run in another racetrack that has not been assigned to you. Each racetrack has its own unique characteristics. Once you complete your racetrack, you will receive your reward.

Conclusion

1. Central Idea: “God wants us to be successful for His glory.”
2. Do not live a mediocre life. Live for God’s glory!
3. This week, start applying these four steps in your life.

Discussion

1. Why do most people aspire for success in their careers but not in their Christian lives?
2. How was your understanding of success renewed today?
3. How would you respond to this message starting today?