The Mirror's Answer

"Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of us all?"

Which of the following people are or were genuinely successful?

The most famous athlete? (Lance Armstrong?) (in ten years will anyone care?)
A poor carpenter in an obscure village marries a pregnant girl. (Joseph, Mary’s Husband)
The richest man in the world? (Bill Gates?) (in fifty years will he care?)
An obscure shepherd brings a “care” package to his brothers in the army. (David)
The most famous woman in the world? (Hillary Clinton?) (a "has been" in twenty years or less)
A slave who is a forgotten prisoner. (Joseph, son of Jacob)

"BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH." (Romans 1:17)

How do you define success? Is it fame, beauty, wealth, power or athletic achievement? The Bible defines success much differently. Genuine success is rooted in faith in God, depends on our ability to hear His direction, and is revealed in our obedience to His direction in our various roles as parent, marriage partner, provider, and so on.

the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away. (James 1:11)

The recent widespread destruction by massive storms has emphasized the insecurity of worldly treasure. In the long run, it does not actually matter whether we are rich, powerful, pretty or famous because those things are extremely temporary. Yet, it is terribly easy to be more focused on our finances, shelter, education and appearance than on hearing and obeying God. To be successful for the long haul, the most important part of your day, week and year is actually the time spent growing in faith and getting focused on God’s character, priorities and direction. In the long run, it doesn't matter how much money we made, what plaques hang on the wall or what position we command. What matters is our relationships. Do we walk with the Lover of our soul? Who have we walked with, talked to and loved into God's Kingdom? Our ability to look pretty in front of the mirror is infinitely less important than our ability to see ourselves in the mirror of God's Word and ask, "How do I need to change?" What is the mirror's answer?

Project:
· Let’s ask God to help us embrace His perspective on success.
· Let’s take time to evaluate the basic goals of our life, plans and day.
-- Plan and Act --
· Let’s plan daily time to focus on Truth (find someone to partner with in this)
· Let’s plan weekly time to seek Wisdom (a man's friends will determine whether he grows in wisdom or folly)
· Let’s schedule yearly retreats to recalibrate our Success Seeking mechanism.

to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints.. Romans 1:7

But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

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