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 Bible Perspective on Success
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Bible Perspective on Success by: Rev. Conrad Tolosa
Each of us has a certain outlook on life, a way of interpreting the events that take place around us. Sometimes this perspective is referred to as a worldview, sometimes as a belief and value system. Each of us has a worldview. Some of us are aware of it as such. Some are not. But everyone has a certain outlook on life. What we believe to be true will determine what we value - - that is, what we believe to be good and right. And what we believe to be good and right will determine how we act or react to things or to events taking place around us. Our worldview is who we are. For example, if we believe in luck, we will likely frequent the casino or the racetracks or buy a lotto ticket every time there is a draw. We will also consider ourselves “lucky” when good things happen to us. If we do not believe that women are equal to men, we will not give them the respect they truly deserve. If we do not consider a fetus a human being, we will have no problem with abortion-on-demand. If we do not believe in God, we will not bother to go to church or restrain our behavior because He sees it. Ordinary people usually believe something to be true simply because they choose to believe it. Successful people first examine a proposition and, after being satisfied with its soundness or validity, then and only then, will they accept it as true. The question begging to be asked is this: “Can truth be known?” And if truth can be known, will it come to us by way of reason or revelation, or through a combination of both? Will it come by way of intuition or impression, or through a strong emotional prompting within us? Underlying questions to our inquiry, therefore, are, “What part in us do we trust most?” “Is it our reason, our intuition, or maybe our feelings?” “Could any of these faculties provide us with a worldview based on what is true, good and right?” When we make decisions - - and we make decisions constantly - - each of us will act at times on reason, intuition, or emotions. But no matter how fast or how deliberately we come to our decisions; we reach them through the doorway of our worldview. How important is it, then, that our worldview is such that it will bring success? Obviously, it is very important. The starting point in ensuring success, therefore, is a reality check on your belief system. “Are your beliefs grounded on truth?” After Jesus had delivered His lengthy Sermon on the Mount, He said: "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock” (Matthew 7:24-25). In order to succeed, it is important that we make sure that our beliefs are grounded on the rock, on what is true (what conforms to the word of God), so our values may be grounded on what is good (what pleases God) and right (what conforms to the will of God), and so our actions will, likewise, be good and right. It is important, therefore, that we ground our worldview on the words of Christ. Let’s go back to our first question, “Can truth be known?” Yes, truth can be known because it pleases God to reveal Himself to us. God does so in two ways. First, in a general sense, God reveals Himself through His work of creation. Knowledge can be acquired through the study of nature, the physical properties of things and the physical laws that govern them. Second, God also reveals Himself in special ways – through the spoken word, through the living word, and through the written word of God. Through Old Testament prophets, God told the Israelites how to live a righteous life. New Testament apostles and prophets spoke to the church concerning the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, particularly the coming Messiah. For 30 years, Jesus lived on Earth and spoke of God and His kingdom. These special revelations were supernaturally recorded in the Bible (men wrote under the supervision of the Holy Spirit) and are made available to those who particularly care to seek God. The next question we need to ask ourselves is, “Why is reason not sufficient in knowing the truth?” Jesus said to his disciples, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” This statement presupposes a loving kind of care, one that frees us from bondage to lies, half-truths, and ignorance. Romans 1:18 tells us that although God’s natural revelation has been made plain to us, we suppress truth because of our godlessness and wickedness. If we are to know and understand the truth we need to be set free; we need God’s illuminating grace applied on our ability to reason. Our understanding must be revelation-driven, not reason-driven. Revelation must take the driver seat and reason the back seat - - and never the other way around. Another question, equally important, is this: “Why is knowing Christ necessary in acquiring the truth we need?” Simply put, spiritual growth will not take place without knowledge of the truth concerning Christ. And lack of knowledge of truth means lack of faith, that so often ends in disobedience to God. In turn, the consequence of disobedience is always suffering. Therefore, hearing, learning, and believing the words of Christ are essential to our well-being. When we embrace the truth of Christ, our faith in God grows. When we become more faithful to Christ, we become more obedient to God. Obedience produces an abundant life. Knowing Christ is knowing the truth that leads to success and to an abundant life.
(Excerpt from Bible Perspective on Success by Conrad Tolosa) |
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