In the previous article, when I talked about be successful and succeed with God’s way, many people think, “I have been going to church for a long time, I have been praying a lot, I have served diligently, but why I have not achieved success?” We all need to understand this principle: Success from God has been prepared by God in His path. When we live in our own way, we never would have met the success from the Lord. And many people will say, “I’ve been following the path of God, but why I haven’t succeeded yet?”
Proverbs 16:2 says, “All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits.”
So we often “feel” that we are already on the path of God, when in fact haven’t. Only God can judge whether we are already in His way or not. In the Bible, God has given us characteristics that could be parameters to judge us from God’s perspective, whether we are already in His way or not.
In the Bible, God’s way is called by various terms, such as: the way of wisdom, the way of righteousness, and the way of life. From the three categories, I will give you the characteristics and parameters that allow us to measure whether we are on the way of God or not.
1. Way of wisdom.
“Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace” (Proverbs 3:17).
If we walk in God’s ways, our lives will be filled with happiness and prosperity alone, because that’s the nature of God’s way. If in this life you hardly feel happy and prosperous, no matter how often you go to church, how much you pray or serve and how much you have given offering, then you need to reflect more deeply if you are in the path of God or in your own way.
If you grumble, complain, disappointed, and bitter more than you used to, then you actually are not in a God’s way of success. You might excuse yourself with a thousand and one reasons because you ‘felt’ you have done the right thing, but it is the Word of God that determines whether you are in His way or not. You should reflect on the Word of God so that you can fix everything that is not in accordance with His Word.
If His Word have told you that its parameters is full of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace, make that a standard of living. If we haven’t lived a life full of pleasantness and peace, we should correct ourselves and increase the standards, don’t correct the Word and lower the standards. When we make the Word of God as the only standard of life then we will soon move out from our own way to the God’s way of success.
Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Only by following and believing His Word alone we can move from our own way to the way of God, cross over now!
2. The way of righteousness.
“But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble” (Proverbs 4:18-19).
If we are in the way of God, our lives will continue to experience progression/improvement in everything. First, we will have increase of clarity in our hearts and minds. As the light of dawn, when it appears, it may not be too bright, but as time passes, the light will become brighter until it reaches its brightest point of light at noon.
The first time when we are in God’s way, maybe we are not too clear in our minds and hearts about everything. But over time, we continue to have clarity about the things in our hearts and minds. Everything became clear and bright in our hearts and minds, so that we begin to understand how God works and what God wants in our lives, and then we continue to align ourselves with God’s way and will.
The more we align ourselves, the more everything will be clear and bright. The bright light continue to take control of our lives, so that many inner conflict questions are all answered and eliminated. After the bright light took control of our lives then the bright light will shine from our lives. Our life is increasingly illuminating people around us. Our lives will give more impact. That is the God’s way of success.
If so far in your the hearts and minds continue raging unanswered inner conflict questions and your life impact also haven’t increased, chances are you have not been in God’s way of success. Immediately move into God’s way of success, by receiving and believing His Word, then you will experience an increase in clarity of thought and life impact.
Joseph continued to follow God’s way of success, that is why even though he had undergone unpleasant experiences, it was clear in his mind that this was the work of God in his life to improve his impact of life
“But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive” (Gen. 50:20).
That’s why there’s no inner conflict question within Joseph and no murmuring, disappointment and hatred in his heart.
3. The Way of Life.
“He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth” (Proverbs 10:17).
“For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life” (Proverbs 6:23).
“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise” (Proverbs 12:15).
If we are in God’s way of success, we will be the ones who are humble and wise that will never ignore the advice and reproofs from anyone, especially from the authorities above us, whether at home, at church, at work or at school. If you for various reasons do not want to be counseled and reprimanded by anyone, including parents and leaders, you are not walking in God’s way of success, you’re walking in the way of a fool.
A fool is always hard to accept advice and admonition, because they always think what they did was right, and that’s why they are the most difficult people to change, because they always feel they are right. The Bible says, reproofs of instruction are the way of life. If you ignore the reproofs, you’re refusing the way of life, and you’re lost. Go back to the right path!
Those are characteristics and parameters that God has given us in His Word. When you align yourself with His Word, God will immediately work to bring you on the way to success is He has in store for you.
“When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him” (Proverbs 16:7).
Even the enemies that attacked you in the past will be willing to make peace and help you. Good luck on going in the new way: be successful and succeed with God’s way!
Also read: Be successful and succeed with God’s way.
