Mindset For Success

When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun! All these new things are from God, who brought us back to himself through what Christ Jesus did. And God has given us the privilege of urging everyone to come into his favor and be reconciled to him. For God was in Christ, restoring the world to himself, no longer counting men’s sins against them but blotting them out. This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others. We are Christ’s ambassadors. God is using us to speak to you: we beg you, as though Christ himself were here pleading with you, receive the love he offers you—be reconciled to God. For God took the sinless Christ and poured into him our sins. Then, in exchange, he poured God’s goodness into us! - 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (Living Bible) Do my words and actions draw others to Jesus Christ? Am I an effective ambassador for Christ? And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospe...

The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all. - Psalm 103:19 (NASB) As we execute this life, we will face adversity. Some are self-inflicted, resulting from the consequences of our actions. Some are the result of living in a fallen world. But, regardless of the source of the adversity we face, we know that nothing touches the life of a believer that is not allowed by the Sovereign God of the universe to ultimately conform us to the likeness of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This is the process of progressive sanctification. For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are of no account, But He does according to His will among the army of heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth; And no one can fend off His hand Or say to Him, ‘ What have You done?’ - Daniel 4:34b-35 (NASB) This is what the Lord says: “ Let no wise man boast of his wisdom, nor let th...

Frankly, I stand amazed at the unfathomable complexity of God's wisdom and God's knowledge. How could man ever understand his reasons for action or explain his methods of working? For: Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor? Or who has first given to him, and it shall be repaid to him? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things. To him be the glory forever, amen. - Romans 11:33-36 (Phillips) As we execute through the complexities and unknowns of this life, it is comforting to know that the Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Sovereign, Immutable God of all creation loves us unconditionally, knows us intimately, is in control of all that touches us, and desires to have a personal relationship with us. O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit or stand. When far away, you know my every thought. You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment you know where I am. Y...

But we Christians have no veil over our faces; we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him. - 2 Corinthians 3:18 (Living Bible) As they gaze at the glory of the Lord, believers are continually being transformed into Christlikeness. The ultimate goal of the believer is to be like Christ, and by continually focusing on Him, the Spirit transforms the believer more and more into His image. - John MacArthur In this life, if we want to mimic a person's success in a specific endeavor, we study and apply the process, discipline, and habits that person developed to achieve that success. In pursuing Christlikeness, our ultimate goal in this life, we must continually focus on Christ and spend time in His Word to grow in our knowledge of His character and His will. But about the Son [the Father says to Him], "You have loved righteousness [integrity, virtue, uprightness in purpose] and have h...

Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. For He rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. - Colossians 1:12-14 (NASB) God the Father qualifies us to share in the inheritance of heaven only through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Cal vary. Apart from the finished work of the Savior, all people who are born with a sinful nature would be qualified only to receive His wrath. This free gift of salvation and unmerited grace should cause our hearts to be overwhelmingly thankful. Am I truly grateful to the Father for His plan in qualifying me to share in the inheritance of heaven? How often do I communicate my thankfulness to Him in prayer? I will give thanks to You, for You have answered me, and You have become my salvation. - Psalm 118:21 (NASB) Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of G...

[We pray that you may be] strengthened and invigorated with all power, according to His glorious might, to attain every kind of endurance and patience with joy; - Colossians 1:11 (Amplified Bible) Spiritual power is a mark of every Christian who submits to God’s Word and the Holy Spirit. It is not reserved for some special class of Christian but for all those who discipline their minds and spirits to study the Word, understand it, and live by it. Although the outer physical person becomes weaker with age, the inner Spiritual person should grow stronger through the Holy Spirit, who will energize, revitalize, and empower the obedient, committed Christian. - John MacArthur Evidence of the strengthening of the Spiritual person can be seen in our ability to endure with joy the difficult trials of this life and to exhibit patience with the difficult people God allows in our path. This is the endurance and patience with joy referenced in this verse. Learning to view the trials and difficult p...

So that you will walk in a manner of the Lord [displaying admirable character, moral courage, and personal integrity], to [fully] please Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing in the knowledge of God [with deeper faith, clearer insight and fervent love for His precepts]; - Colossians 1:10 (Amplified Bible) As our knowledge of God increases, we will experience spiritual growth that will be evidenced by the following: A deeper love for God's Word. Nothing is perfect except your words. Oh, how I love them. I think about them all day long. - Psalm 119:96-97 (Living Bible) Is my mind so saturated with God's Word that I think about it throughout the day? Is God's Word my primary source of wisdom to execute this life? A more perfect obedience. And how can we be sure that we belong to him? By looking within ourselves: are we really trying to do what he wants us to? Someone may say, "I am a Christian; I am on my way to heaven; I belong to Chri...