What a Successful Life Looks Like

To many people, life is still a mystery. Well, some parts of it are, but the bigger picture is not. It's been obvious since the beginning, but we just look the other way and prefer to see mystery than fact. Often, we still wonder why we get so sick or so broke or so frustrated when the answer has been there all the time, staring us in the face. In James' words: 

"Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts."

Photo by Nicolas J Leclercq on Unsplash.

Here's real life. It has 6 main aspects: 

1. Spiritual
2. Physical
3. Mental
4. Emotional
5. Social 
6. and financial or material. 

The thing is to be mindful about them all. Getting them in proportions God assigned to each of us is what SUCCESS is all about. God has prepared full provisions for all 6 and he wants us to seek after them. Yup, seek after all 6 of them. The whole package. Abundant provisions have already been made ready even before we were born and it's up to us to start the adventure to seek them all, or not. To become prosperous or stay poor.

How do we seek them all? Here's the key: If we seek God first, we find them all. That's how we seek for them. Nope, we don't seek God to get the blessings. We just seek God, period. Blessings or otherwise. But one thing for sure--we will grow into HIM. That's true success. That's one of the highest blessings.

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Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior. [Habakkuk 3.17]

I believe in prosperity Gospel and the above is my idea of prosperity.

Pride Rejects Some Package Items

The problem is, most people choose only one or two aspects and ignore the rest of the package. They seek God but do not believe everything he has for them. That's half-hearted seeking which God disapproves because it's pride. God opposes the proud, remember? Some avowed God-seekers want only the spiritual and reject money, specifically anything on making money, thinking any activity about money is worldly. Others, on the other hand, think they can seek material things with their own smartness and effort, without seeking God--or at least have some religion to assuage guilt.

But God wants all of us to get the whole package. "I came that you may have life and abundantly at that," Jesus said. Abundant life is not just the spiritual. It's everything God has for us and which we need--the whole package, the 6 aspects. If we seek God first, "all these things will be added" to us. When God says all, he means ALL. Not just the spiritual. And the context in Matthew 6.33 where the passage comes from is about material things, what pagans run after. 

So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Apostle Paul adds that:

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

[1 Corinthians 8.9]

"So you might become rich." The word might is used here because it depends on whether we'd believe the Word about riches or not. And in the context, Paul was talking about material or financial matters. It's God's will to prosper us materially so we can give more to HIS work. And just to have this happen, Jesus became "poor." This means he left his place in heaven where he had all the riches and royalty, emptied himself, and took the form of a servant--a "poor" and lowly servant at that. That's how serious God is with making us rich, even materially.

Prosperity Gospel

And many of us choose to simply ignore God's financial blessings because we think doing so is spiritual. Instead, Church today chooses to "beg" money through solicitation letters, begging for money to build their church buildings or finance their ministries, soliciting for donations from churches abroad. In rejecting God's promise of prosperity, they get mixed up about todays "Prosperity Gospel" which unscrupulous ministers use to enrich themselves. Some church people misread God's promise about material prosperity for advancing the Gospel, thinking it nothing but business to enrich the minister or church. 

It's the same with health. A lot of folks, (bible believers among them) are very sick and take maintenance meds, thinking that to be normal with old age. So they go on eating without discipline, letting their tummies bulge and having zero physical exercise. They pay no attention to a healthy lifestyle and instead pray that God would miraculously make them healthy despite their careless lifestyle or take out bad cholesterol from their food (or take away free radical damage despite their needless overstress). Some pastors boast about being sick or dying because of ministry stress. They have no hint what abundant life is about.

The Gospel

The Gospel of Jesus Christ declares LIFE. It's not meant to make you a millionaire (although there's nothing wrong about it and God can easily make you one if he wants to). It's designed to avoid lack, and not just financial lack, but lack in the other aspects of life as well. The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want or lack. Jesus was made to look poor, but he never had any money issues. He was never in lack. His female followers willingly supported him well, and most needs were supernaturally provided for. These are among the blessings of the Gospel, not just eternal life. Jesus demonstrated with his life what abundant life was about.

Abundant life in Jesus is designed to eliminate lack, and not just financial lack, but lack in the other aspects of life as well. It's what having God as your peace means. Problems still come but not lack.

If you're a serious Jesus seeker, you must believe all blessings in 6 aspects and expect to get them in this life. It's part of having faith in Jesus. And like Jesus, we must demonstrate what abundant life in Christ is through our lives. Because we are HIS followers. We cannot do this if we're sickly or broke or suffering lack or having problems with social relationships (worse, marital relations), mental acuity or emotional quotient. You must discover and explore your God-given potentials and enjoy them.

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Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.