Noted author and philosopher Richard Briley presents a Biblical-based guide to
success.
The Bible is the world''s oldest "How-To-
Succeed" book. Success is a consequence of
faith, not an accident of nature. In order to succeed, one must first believe three things. 1) The Bible is a guidebook for daily living. 2)
Life has meaning. 3) Your own life has a special purpose. Whoever fails to plan, plans to fail. The first step to success is to develop a
goal. A true goal is an objective that is life enhancing, specific and measurable. Success should not result in selfish behavior. To succeed is to do God''s Work. God wrote the book on success. It is called the Bible. These are the Seven Secrets of Success. 1) Success
results from following natural laws. "Remember that it is the Lord your God who gives you the power to become rich" Deuteronomy 8:18 2) Success is a planned outcome, not an accident. "To every person who has something, even more will be given and he will have more than enough" Matthew 25:29 3) Success benefits others first. "Better is a little righteousness than great revenues without right" Proverbs 16:8 4) Success starts with permission from God. Without permission, success is literally unthinkable. "Instead you ought to say this: ''If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that''" James 4:15 5) Success comes after escape from the problems of the past. "To them gave He power to become the sons of God" John 1:12 6) Success builds on vision and goals. "Make it your aim to live a quiet life, to mind your own business and to earn your own living. In this way, you will not have to depend on anyone for what you need. I Thessalonians 4:11-12. 7) Success follows Faith and Faithfulness. "If, then, your have not been faithful in handling worldly
wealth, how can you be trusted with true wealth?" Luke 16:11 Success is something one must define for oneself. Decide what you want. Develop a plan to achieve it. Goal led faith will find windows and open doors where blind faith will feel walls and stumble over obstacles. Ask God to help you. Failure often results from ignoring God. Obedience is our minimum duty; success is our maximum service to God. Share your good fortune. Accumulated wealth should be used in times of trouble. The future is flexible, waiting for us to shape it.