Are you successful?

Then you will have success if you are careful to observe the decrees and laws that the Lord gave Moses for Israel. 1 Chronicles 22:13

We are living in uncertain times. Most all of us know someone who recently has had difficulty with their employment, a death of a friend or relative, health problems, addictions, or other issues. When these hard times occur, we as Catholic Christians have our faith to fall back on and we have friends and family to help us pray to stay on the path God desires.

While it may seem strange, it is sometimes easier to handle difficulty in our lives than wealth or strength. Difficulties cause us to recognize our need for God. Prosperity on the other hand, persuades us that we no longer need Him. Scripture holds many examples of those who assumed they were self sufficient, only to realize their dire poverty apart from God. The first example in the bible is the story of Adam and Eve.  Genesis Chapter 3:4-7 reads:

“You will not surely die”, the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

God had given Adam and Eve the Garden of Eden and only asked them to not eat from the forbidden tree. The gifts God bestowed on them gave them false confidence that they too could become like God. Once they ate the forbidden fruit, they were banished from the same Garden they were earlier entrusted to keep.

In our daily lives, our thoughts can become clouded with worldly successes. Our society values money, power, and fame. Our ego can get the best of us when we experience worldly success. We may feel we are responsible for all the good things that happen to us. We may get to the point, as Adam and Eve did, that we do not need to follow the rules any more. We feel like we are in control!

Success in the world’s eyes is not always a sign of God’s blessing. In fact it may indicate you have chosen a substitute for an intimate relationship with God. Be careful of how you handle the success God gives you! As you enjoy His blessings, keep in mind that you are simply an instrument in the hands of the Master. Ask yourself the following:

Life’s real success is discerning and doing God’s will. If we are successful in God’s eyes, we no longer have to answer to anyone else.

God Bless,

Sonia and Mark Lager