Are You Succeeding or Missing The Point? — Morning Devotions

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So the older man wasn’t ready just yet to reveal that he himself had been a lumberjack for 30 years. He said, it looks as if your saw might be a bit blunt. “Well, it probably is,” said the young man. “I’ve been soaring all day.” Well, why don’t you take a break and sharpen it? The job will go a lot faster if you do that. And looking weary, the young man sighed, “I don’t like sharpening and any way, I don’t have time right now. I’m too busy sawing.” I’d have to say that this young man was missing the point of what was going on that day.

Out in the forest, he was making hard work and not really being successful. Do you know that sometimes our lives are exactly like that? We wonder if we’re really succeeding or if we’re missing the point, maybe even wasting our time. And what does it mean to be a success in life anyway? I mean, is it about how much material wealth you’ve got or an impressive career that might make you the envy of other people? And have you ever wondered what makes a person successful?

Work and success

True, some people succeed, other people doing the same thing fail. What’s the difference?

I heard about Joseph Malone, who was once the president of the Prudential Insurance Company, and he was talking to his management team one day, and he said this – “that everything I’ve ever read suggests that those people who are most successful in this world, the ones that others look up to, all say the same thing. The greatest joy in life doesn’t come from wealth or high praise or honours. It comes from achieving something worthwhile, something of lasting value.”

And, and I think that comment is true. Our success is not dependent on things like wealth or honours in this life. Many so-called successful people are still unhappy. Well, Joe Malone went on to talk about the ancient Romans who had great success in their building constructions, and today thousands of their arches are still standing today.

They’ve survived all these years, and the Romans had a very interesting practise, he told his workers. This was Joe telling the workers that when they finished building an arch, the engineer in charge was expected to stand beneath it when the scaffolding was removed. And if the arch didn’t hold, the person standing there was the first to know.

Whatever you choose to build with your life, he said, build it so you and some day your children’s children can stand beneath it with confidence and pride. Now I reckon that’s a great statement. Live your life to the full so that your children, your grandchildren can be proud of what you have achieved in life. It’s important, isn’t it, to start, I think, with a right relationship with God.

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Now this doesn’t come automatically or just because you went to Sunday school perhaps as a child. It’s a choice that you have to make, and I like what the proverbs from the Old Testament says – Proverbs 3:1-8.

Remember my teachings and instructions and obey them. They will help you live a long and prosperous life. Let love and loyalty always show like a necklace and write them in your mind. God and people will like you and consider you a success. With all your heart, you must trust the Lord and not your own judgement. Always let Him lead you, and He will clear the road for you to follow. Don’t ever think that you’re wise enough, but respect the Lord and stay away from evil. This will make you healthy and will make you feel strong. They’re words from Proverbs 3:1 to 8.

Some years ago I came across a wonderful community group here in Sydney called Habitat for Humanity.

And one of the things they do is they build houses for people who can’t afford their own home and the workers are all volunteers. And I remember hearing in 1992 when Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida in the US, the only houses that remained were the 27 houses that this organisation had actually built – they’d survived the hurricane and the rain, and that their motto was, we don’t cut corners when we build houses, and that’s the true meaning of success, and we can trust God for the true meaning of success.

Let’s Pray

Well, heavenly Father, we thank you today that you enrich our lives and that you’ve kept your word, and Lord, you know what success is. Help us to look to you for real success. Amen.