Real Success

Real Success
Matthew 10:39

A successful performance or achievement. The achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted: attributed their success in business to hard work. The attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like. The gaining of fame or prosperity The favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors. The extent of such gain. All of these are definitions of success.

However, God’s definition of success is totally different: He says; Losing your life and finding His high life and calls that success. A person must be willing to lose their own plan for life. Matthew 16:24-27
We must find God’s plan for our lives. The plan of God for us is not always obvious. It comes as we take steps of obedience. Finding means searching Matthew 7:7
The secret to finding God’s plan is by really wanting it, which in turn will cause us to want to look for it.
People need to realize our own visions (the ones the come from self and not from God) are “low life” (means more worried about fleshly desires here on earth.) when compared to God’s. We must never create our own plan and then ask God to bless it. Have your heart open to find God’s plan. (Be led by the Spirit).
There many examples in the bible where great men had to lose their plan for the plan of God. I will just refer to scripture not read.
1. Moses – Exodus 3:10 Deliver Israel out of Egypt (not his plan)
2. Peter – Matthew 4:18-22 He left his job to follow Jesus.
3. Matthew – Matthew 9:9 also left his job to follow Jesus.
4. Paul – Acts 9 Jesus rocked his world on the road to Damascus.

Losing your life will be a sacrifice and it will have to become a lifestyle – not a one time event or experience.
What losing your life is not:
1. Doing what is expedient, easy or quick. It is always going to take a process.
2. Conforming to what everyone else thinks is right.
3. Looking for what feels good.
4. Living our life “our way”.
b. What losing your life is?
1. Submitting to the Word and the Spirit of God. Joshua 1:8
2. Listening to the witness of the Holy Spirit in your spirit Romans 8:16
3. Going to others for counsel and advice
4. Receiving what comes through the gifts of the Spirit. II Timothy 1:6
5. Flowing with your natural gifts and talents.
6. Following heart-felt desires and joys.
7. Doing what gets results for God’s kingdom.
c. We can all find God’s plan for our lives if we want to. John 10:14-16.